‘Beetlejuice 2’ Director Says Michael Keaton ‘Had No Burning Desire’ To Reprise His Role

In a recent conversation with the British Film Institute, Beetlejuice director Tim Burton recounted how he had to persuade Michael Keaton to return as his grotesque character, Beetlejuice, in the sequel. “He didn’t want to do it — he had no necessarily burning desire,” Burton said.

Thankfully, Keaton went from hesitant to absolutely invested, delivering an outstanding performance that impressed Burton. “I have to say, it was the most fun. It reminded me of back in the old days, this unhinged thing unleashed on the set. I was quite shocked at how easy it was for him to kick it back into it. It was like demon possession,” Burton added.

Old and new faces in ‘Beetlejuice 2’

Apart from Keaton, Winona Ryder also reprises her role as Lydia Deetz, and Catherine O’Hara is back playing Delia Deetz. “This is what interests me. This is what gives it an anchor for me. Where are these people after 35 years? So that anchored the emotion and the feeling,” Burton revealed his excitement about having the stars on set again.

RELATED: Michael Keaton Is Making A Comeback As Beetlejuice In Highly Anticipated 2024 Sequel

Beetlejuice 2 will feature new faces like Wednesday’s Jenna Ortega, who will play Lydia’s daughter, and Willem Dafoe as an afterlife law enforcement officer.

Burton and Keaton enjoyed working on the sequel

In July, Keaton teased about the movie in an interview with Empire, revealing that he and Burton had been in talks about a sequel years back. “We’ve both said we’re doing it many times. We both agreed, if it happens, it has to be done as close to the way we made it the first time,” he said. “It’s the most fun I’ve had working on a movie. I can’t tell you how long it’s been.”

Burton was inspired to continue the original characters’ story, hence the need for a sequel that offered a fresh perspective on their lives after nearly four decades. “I didn’t look at the first movie because it didn’t feel like it would help,” he said. “I treated it just very much as a project where, after 35 years, the anchor for me is what happened to Lydia, what happened to the Deetz family.”