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Oh Hollywood

Beetlejuice 2 Writer Reveals His Secret To A Successful Sequel

by Kellie Foxx-Gonzalez | 2:46 pm, June 26th, 2012


Are you ready for a reanimation of Beetlejuice? Seth Grahame-Smith, writer of the box office disappointment Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, is already moving on to his next project: Beetlejuice 2. Hit the jump for some details about the upcoming sequel to the Tim Burton classic!

The original Beetlejuice relied heavily upon a motley crew of main characters thrown together in life and death, morbid hijinks, and the panache of a grotesquely charming Michael Keaton. Grahame-Smith notes that he would like to retain the multi-character dynamic of the film, relying upon the character of Beetlejuice as a sort of glue to hold the cast together:

But I think the magic ingredient is trying not to over do it. Not to make it some crazy, overblown big Beetlejuice Saves the World type of story. Frankly, Beetlejuice himself is only in the original movie for about a half hour. I think using him sparingly is key. And not trying to make it so modern, family friendly and broad but to cling to the things that made it a little dangerous.

And obviously we’re not remaking the movie or rebooting it. It would be a sequel, and however much time has passed between the two movies, that’s the amount of time that will have passed in the story.

Fans might be a bit concerned about Grahame-Smith heading up the script, especially after Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter pretty much tanked upon release. However, the notion of sticking to the original set-up does seem promising — Michael Keaton didn’t make Beetlejuice a success so much as the winning combination of hilarity and horror, in addition to a star-studded cast featuring particularly excellent performances from Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder.

What do you think? Is Beetlejuice 2 on the path to greatness? Or is Grahame-Smith’s latest script-writing effort a death sentence for this comedy-horror classic?

(via Blastr.)

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  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_LSKWJ7LSRGW535YP3UXCQRKZEM idamannowdog

    BEETLEJUICE!  BEETLEJUICE!!  BEATLE BAILEY!!!  OH GREAT!  I FAILED

  • http://www.facebook.com/maxwell.lachance Maxwell LaChance

    BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE BEETLEBORGS.  Wait, that seems wrong…

  • http://twitter.com/Totz_the_Plaid Totz_the_Plaid

    Well, seeing as the major failing of “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” was that it took its source material way too damn seriously and forgot to be fun and campy… I think we’re in for a grim, boring Beetlejuice rather than a fun, campy sequel that recaptures the spirit of the original. I HOPE I’m wrong about that, but looking at the evidence, that’s what seems likely to me.

    That said, though, I think he has the right idea in keeping Beetlejuice’s appearances scarce in the film. Maybe not quite as scarce as the original, since he’s why people will see a sequel, but as long as he’s in less than half the movie, that should be the right plan.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=514937465 Nora Peterson

    No! *Slaps hand away* Stop rebooting everything!

  • JamieMF

    Gawd, this is so unnecessary. I just can’t deal with this anymore. I really want to be a writer and director, so it’s really depressing that all that ever seems to get funding are remakes and sequels. Why, Hollywood? WHY? 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-Obrien/1188247065 Mike Obrien

    well there goes beetlejuice reboot i wont see this because im a fan of the character screw the fucking movie. that movie was so boring.michael keatons beetlejuice character is what made the movie as good as it is today.making it a direct sequel where its been 25 years. is the biggest mistake no one wants to see a 40 year old lidia. the younger generation of that time has seen the movie and the cartoon. they will want to see the younger lidia and the b-man as friends.she was just as weird as him.make it a sequel of the cartoon.that cartoon is more famous then the original movie itself do you know how many people will be lined up to see a sequel of the beetlejuice cartoon even if its live action.toss out the idea of the 25 year sequel because its a very bad idea. no matter what director makes it. its going to be just as boring as adraham lincoln; vampire hunter.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Melchizedec3000 Hollis Bush

    I gotta go with Mike Obrien they should go from the cartoon version instead of trying to make add onto a 2 decade ago movie. The cartoons are more memorable funny, trippy, and plain out more weirder because it was on a little goth girl having BeetleJuice as a friend. Plus who in the black Hell would want to see a BeetleJuice sequel after soo many years? How would people like it if Tim Burtin made one Batman then in 2012 announced he’s going to make a sequel to it? Are the writers IQ level really this low now?

  • http://www.facebook.com/ThePimpofHorrors Mark Kruckenberg

    Attention: Read the very short article, they’re not rebooting it. 

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