Widely regarded as one of Tim Burton’s most outlandish projects, a Halloween classic and the movie that made Winona Ryder famous, Beetlejuice has been capturing audiences since 1988. 

Beetlejuice is no longer just a movie but an animated television series, a Broadway musical, a popular Halloween costume and, as of 2024, a film series. 

Announced in Feb. 2024, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice marks the first major continuation of the Beetlejuice story. Released on Sept. 6, 2024, the movie boasts several returning cast members, including stars Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder. Renowned director Tim Burton utilizes his original style of animation with the help of puppets and scaled-back CGI. 

Alongside familiar faces come new additions to the cast, including Oscar winner Willem Dafoe and breakout star Jenna Ortega, who gained mass fame from her titular role in Netflix’s Wednesday.  

The movie explores themes of family, loss, and overcoming past experiences that (literally) haunt you. Main character Lydia Deetz, played by Ryder, works to rebuild her relationship with daughter Astrid, played by Ortega, following the death of Astrid’s father several years prior. 

In the wake of Charles Deetz’s death, the remaining Deetz family members reunite in the fictional town of Winter River, Connecticut to attend his funeral and put the family house up for sale. Beetlejuice, played by Keaton, is hired to help Lydia save Astrid, who accidentally became trapped in the afterlife, in exchange for Lydia’s hand in marriage. 

This marriage proposal was one of the main conflicts from the original Beetlejuice and was one of many callbacks throughout the sequel. Members of the audience who haven’t seen the first movie might have a harder time following the plot and catching the more niche references. 

The story itself was straightforward, but the amount of cameos and scattered plotlines took away some of its authenticity. There were so many things going on at once that it was, at times, hard to follow. 

A Beetlejuice sequel has been in development for 36 years, but production only started picking up in 2019. When asked about the delay, director Tim Burton told Gizmodo it was because, “nothing clicked and truly, it couldn’t have happened until now.” 

Unfortunately, not everyone responded positively to the release. Several fans posted scathing reviews online. On Google Reviews, one user called it “A disappointing waste of talent at every level,” while another said it was “Possibly one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Do not waste your money, they would have to pay me to ever watch this again.” 

However, some fans loved it. One Google reviewer wrote, “This movie, though it took decades to come to fruition, was completely worth every second.” Another said “‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ is everything I hoped for in a sequel — and more!” 

Though audience responses were mixed, an interview with Variety had Tim Burton reveal his thoughts behind finally releasing Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. “… for me, this movie was a re-energizing, a kind of getting back to the things I love doing, the way I love doing it and with people I love doing it with.” 

If you’ve seen and enjoyed the original, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is worth a watch. While fan reviews were mixed, the cast and production make the movie entertaining and fun. Beetlejuice is all about the uncanny and the unconventional, and the sequel is no different.