Michael Keaton & Winona Ryder’s Beetlejuice 2 Story Pays Off Tim Burton's 35-Year-Old Horror Spinoff Show (2024)

Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder will reunite in Beetlejuice 2, and their teased story seems to be a callback to another Tim Burton project from the late '80s. 36 years after Burton's original movie, the long-anticipated sequel is finally on the horizon with Keaton's bio-exorcist and Ryder's Lydia back in the spotlight. Beetlejuice 2's story will be somewhat of a family affair, with fellow women of the Deetz family involved, as well as Beetlejuice's wife. While new members of Beetlejuice 2's cast are exciting, much of the excitement stems from Beetlejuice and Lydia's reunion.

Seeing Ryder portray a mother might be intriguing for the sequel, but in a surprising twist, Astrid seems to resent Lydia and her "gifts." That said, Jenna Ortega's new teenage character will find herself in a Neitherworld-related problem, requiring Lydia to seek help from an unlikely source: Beetlejuice. Turning to Beetlejuice will likely come from desperation, but seeing Lydia team up with Keaton's character without Adam and Barbara around as backup is an exciting concept. The team-up teased in Beetlejuice 2's second trailer also mirrors a previous follow-up to Burton's 1988 movie.

Beetlejuice & Lydia Teaming Up In The Afterlife Pays Homage To The 1989 Beetlejuice Cartoon Spinoff

The Characters Were A Lot Closer In The Animated Spinoff

Following the release of Beetlejuice in 1988, an animated spinoff show was ordered before debuting on ABC in September 1989. The cartoon, which was also titled Beetlejuice, primarily focused on the bio-exorcist con man and Lydia. However, in the TV iteration based on the movie, Beetlejuice and Lydia were more like friends who went on adventures together. Beetlejuice 2's teased team-up between Beetlejuice and Lydia certainly seems like it will mirror the basis of the animated series to some degree, even if they aren't depicted as "friends" in the live-action version.

In the Beetlejuice cartoon, "The Ghost with the Most" was more of a prankster but wasn't much of a danger as shown in the movie. Aside from adventures in the world of the living, the pair would traverse the Neitherworld, giving more insight into the realm. That will also come into play in Beetlejuice 2, considering there have been several interesting looks into aspects of the Neitherworld that weren't shown in the first movie. Since Burton executive produced the animated show, it's even possible some of those elements will make the jump into the sequel.

The Beetlejuice show introduced an array of characters to the franchise while diving deeper into the backgrounds of both characters. Members of the Deetz family were obviously on display in 1988's Beetlejuice, but the show was able to develop Lydia's character beyond the movie. The same could be said for Beetlejuice, whose family came into play with appearances by characters like his parents, Bea Juice and Nat Juice, as well as his brother, Donny Juice. Beetlejuice and Lydia even shared a sentient car named Doomie, showing just how different their dynamic was in the short-lived show.

Beetlejuice's Cartoon Show Ended After Only 2 Years

The Animated Spinoff Was A Massive Hit

In total, the Beetlejuice cartoon ran 94 episodes between September 1989 and December 1991. Even though the show only aired for a little over two years, it technically ran for four seasons. To this day, there's not a satisfying reason for why the cartoon ended while it was still very popular. Despite first airing on ABC as part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup, Beetlejuice episodes were sold to Fox and started to air in September 1991. This meant that Beetlejuice episodes were airing on two rival networks, which is an extremely rare occurrence to this day.

Beetlejuice

TV-Y7-FV

Animation

Horror

Adventure

Beetlejuice is an animated television series inspired by Tim Burton's 1988 film. The show follows the misadventures of Lydia Deetz, a gothic teenage girl, and her mischievous ghost friend, Beetlejuice, in the Neitherworld and on Earth. Voiced by Stephen Ouimette, Beetlejuice's chaotic antics and Lydia's resourcefulness create a unique blend of comedy and fantasy. The series aired from 1989 to 1991, garnering critical acclaim for its inventive storytelling and distinctive animation style.

Release Date

September 9, 1989

Seasons

4

Cast

Stephen Ouimette , Alyson Court , Tabitha St. Germain , Elizabeth Hanna , Roger Dunn

Keaton & Ryder's Beetlejuice 2 Pairing Means Major Changes From Their 1988 Movie Dynamic

The Pair's Relationship Could Greatly Evolve In The Sequel

Even if Beetlejuice and Lydia team up in the sequel, their relationship will still be drastically different compared to the animated show. Since the cartoon catered to young viewers as part of children's programming, the show tweaked the odd romantic dynamic between Beetlejuice and Lydia. Whereas Beetlejuice wanted to marry Lydia in the original movie and was nothing short of a creep, their relationship in the show was more innocent. In fact, Lydia looked up to Beetlejuice in the show, and they truly cared for one another in a familial way.

Beetlejuice might still be pining for Lydia based on his continued interest in marriage, but it's possible their dynamic will lean more into the animated show this time around. Their movie pairing would be more entertaining if Lydia embraces working with Keaton's character. Perhaps Lydia and Beetlejuice even become friends by the end of Beetlejuice 2, depending on whether their team-up succeeds in saving Astrid while preventing any further drama coming out of the Neitherworld.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Comedy

Supernatural

Director

Tim Burton

Release Date

September 6, 2024

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Writers

Mike Vukadinovich

Cast

Michael Keaton , Jenna Ortega , Winona Ryder , Monica Bellucci , Willem Dafoe , Justin Theroux , Catherine O'Hara