'Beetlejuice 2' Unveils Star-Studded Cast and Surprising Age Rating Change

Make sure you know where your Handbooks for the Recently Deceased (Diseased) are because the long-awaited sequel to Beetlejuice is hitting theaters in the fall of 2024. What do we know about the movie so far? Our only option is to draw a door, knock three times, and try to get some answers from Juno our caseworker.

While the Beetlejuice 2 cast sees some changes and the age rating has been updated, Michael Keaton will reprise his iconic role as the grimy yet comedic Beetlejuice. Many familiar faces return, along with some new additions to the Winter River, Conn. scene. Here's everything we know about "Beetlejuice 2" and its star-studded lineup.

Fans of the film Beetlejuice can jump in the line for joy because the sequel is nigh. Released in 1988, Beetlejuice centered around a sweet couple living in the country who die and are forced to haunt their home.

Other than being dead, their major problem is sharing their beloved house with an uptight businessman from New York and his wacky artist wife (played by Catherine O'Hara) who decorate their home into oblivion. The only saving grace is their teenage daughter, played by Winona Ryder, the only one who can see them.

The Warner Bros. Pictures official trailer for Beetlejuice 2 confirms the return of Michael Keaton as the titular Beetlejuice, alongside Winona Ryder. Tim Burton directs the movie. Despite rumors of Johnny Depp's involvement, he is not listed in the cast or featured in the trailers. However, Jenna Ortega is set to star in the film.

Not only will Catherine O'Hara return as Delia Deetz, but Jenna will also join the Beetlejuice 2 cast, playing the role of Lydia's daughter. Monica Bellucci is also being featured in the film as Beetlejuice's wife (say what?).

So, who do we have to thank for resurrecting this project? It's an unlikely hero.

Interestingly enough, Brad Pitt's production company Plan B is responsible for digging this movie out of a shallow grave. Plan B has been behind some incredible movies since the company began in November 2001. They produced blockbusters such as The Departed, 12 Years a Slave, and Vice.

Two years after Beetlejuice was released, director Tim Burton had the outline for a sequel ready to go. Soon after, British playwright Jonathan Gems (Mars Attacks!) cranked out a 126-page screenplay tentatively titled Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. Much of the original cast was attached to return, including Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, and Jeffrey Jones.

The premise was simple. Winona Ryder's Lydia travels to Hawaii to check on a project her father is working on, a casino/resort built on top of the grave of a sacred Hawaiian priest. Inevitably, wacky ghosts begin wreaking havoc on the hotel, forcing Lydia to ask Beetlejuice for help. If you're wondering if he surfs at some point, wonder no more.

What could stop such a delightfully ridiculous movie from being made? Tim Burton was offered full creative control over Batman Returns, so off he went, taking Michael Keaton with him. Unable to get the film moving, it remained in purgatory for nearly 15 years until 2011. For no apparent reason, Warner Bros. decided this idea had to see the light of day once again.

Seth Grahame-Smith (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and David Katzenberg (2017's IT) were tapped to produce and write an all-new sequel. Seth told EW in 2011 he only agreed to the project if Tim Burton gave his blessing and Michael Keaton was 100 percent involved.

By 2014 things had fallen apart with rumors of no script flying around, and not a peep was heard until 2022. Now, instead of wondering if a Beetlejuice sequel will happen, we finally have a date to mark on our calendars.

Beetlejuice 2 is rated PG-13 for "violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material, and brief drug use," per Yahoo. This means some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. One notable scene includes involves Beetlejuice asking Delia to spill her guts, but her lack of action prompts him to spill his (literally)!

Given that the original film was released years after the PG-13 rating was introduced, it's likely that the 1988 film would have received this rating if it had existed at the time.

Beetlejuice 2 hits theaters on Sept. 6, 2024.