Beetlejuice 2 Is Reviving My Excitement For Tim Burton's Movies That I Lost After His $245 Million Box Office Bomb

The latest trailer for Beetlejuice 2 gives a more intense glimpse into the sequel’s story and returning characters, which continues to build up the most excitement for a Tim Burton movie that I’ve had in over a decade. Tim Burton remains one of the most distinct and accomplished directors in recent film history, but there was a noted departure from his trademark style, tone, and approach to filming techniques in the early 2010s that didn’t fare as well with critics or audiences as his hits from the ‘90s and ‘00s. After Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton’s movies gradually became less and less like his influential early films in the same vein as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Ed Wood.

Gothic outcast themes, German expressionist style, practical effects, and stop-motion animation were hallmarks of Burton’s best movies for decades, but these elements began to fade alongside the critical acclaim and box office success of his films over the last decade. However, while it seemed that the old style of Tim Burton’s movies may have simply been gone, Beetlejuice 2’s new details have sparked hope in the auteur filmmaker’s comeback as his new projects continue to appeal to his greatest strengths. In fact, the 2024 sequel is reviving the great optimism and anticipation for one of his movies that I haven’t had since before his $245 million box office bomb in 2012.

Beetlejuice 2 Is The Most Excited I’ve Been For A Tim Burton Movie After Dark Shadows’ Disappointment

My interest in Tim Burton’s new movies hasn’t been high in over a decade

Dark Shadows is arguably where the down-trend in Tim Burton’s critical acclaim and box office performance truly began. The 2012 dark fantasy movie was a passion project for Burton as he brought one of his favorite TV shows, Dark Shadows (1966–1971), to the big screen. The film seemed to have plenty of exciting elements going for it with a stacked cast and gothic style, including Burton’s frequent collaborator Johnny Depp in the lead. Considering the director had just made over $1 billion at the box office with his live-action Alice in Wonderland remake in 2010, the pressure was on for Dark Shadows to follow as another exciting display of Burton’s filmmaking in a new age of moviemaking technology.

However, unlike Alice in Wonderland – which, admittedly, still didn’t fare too well with critics as it holds a 55% score on Rotten Tomatoes – Dark Shadows was a commercial disappointment, earning only $245.5 million against an estimated budget of $150 million (via Box Office Mojo). Furthermore, Dark Shadows would mark the worst-reviewed entry in Burton’s directorial career, with the project currently holding a 35% score on Rotten Tomatoes. While Burton would also debut the stop-motion animated remake of his 1984 short film Frankenweenie later that year, which felt closer to his classic dark fantasy films, that movie was still met with a mediocre box office performance.

After Frankenweenie, Tim Burton would direct three more films throughout the 2010s: Big Eyes (2014), Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016), and Dumbo (2019). But, these films would still struggle to reclaim the critical adoration and widespread audience popularity of his hits from the ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s. Considering Dumbo, Burton’s most recent movie, would receive mixed reviews from critics and be regarded as a box office bomb after making only $353 million against a $170 million budget, hope for another great Tim Burton movie like those from his heyday seemed to be lost.

Thankfully, though, Burton would announce that his next movie would be the sequel to his 1988 cult classic Beetlejuice – finally bringing him back to the style, characters, star-power, and practical filmmaking approach of his best projects. Of course, a sequel to any classic movie is expected to be met with apprehension, but each new reveal about Beetlejuice 2 confirms that Tim Burton is avoiding the issues and changes that contributed to the downward trend of his films from the 2010s. For the first time since before Dark Shadows, Beetlejuice 2 makes me believe that I’m going to get another classic Tim Burton movie on par with his earlier work.

Wednesday Already Prepared Me For Tim Burton’s Incredible Horror Movie Comeback

Wednesday season 1 marked the return to form of classic Tim Burton

It isn’t just Tim Burton reuniting with some of his most popular frequent collaborators or the nostalgia of returning to the world of Beetlejuice that makes the 2024 sequel feel so much different from his past decade of films. Rather, my elevated optimism for Beetlejuice 2 is underscored by the success of his directorial work and creative insight as an executive producer on Netflix’s hit show Wednesday. After being unable to direct The Addams Family movies from the 1990s, Tim Burton was finally able to put his unique touch on these iconic characters who had always fit his style in Wednesday, which marked a true return to form for the filmmaker.

In addition to arguably being Tim Burton’s biggest hit with general audiences since Alice in Wonderland, given Wednesday’s record-breaking viewership numbers for Netflix, the show was also his most critically acclaimed family-oriented project since Frankenweenie. Wednesday proved that the Tim Burton who crafted classics like Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and the 1989 and 1992 Batman movies was still here, and that it was only a matter of time before this return to form made its way to the big screen. Now, enter Beetlejuice 2 – a movie that couldn’t be a more perfect way to emphasize his resurgence in popularity and return to horror-comedy prominence.

Related

All 4 Wednesday Episodes Directed By Tim Burton, Ranked

Tim Burton played a key role in the inception and production of the hit Netflix show Wednesday and even directed the first four episodes of season 1.

Beetlejuice 2’s Trailers Keep Making It Seem Like Tim Burton’s Best Movies From The ’80s & ’90s

Beetlejuice 2 feels like the Tim Burton who directed some of my favorite movies

Interviews from Beetlejuice 2’s returning cast members like Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, and Winona Ryder already hinted at the notion that the sequel would be an authentic return to the 1988 film’s spooky world. But, there’s a difference between hearing about it and actually seeing it. When the first trailer and images for Beetlejuice 2 dropped, it was clear that the actors and crew members weren’t exaggerating that the sequel would live up to the original. Trading out the overreliance on CGI that underscored Burton’s 2010s movies for the practical, handmade approach of his earlier films, Beetlejuice 2 impressively mirrors the style and look of his most fondly remembered movies.

Related

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Trailer: Michael Keaton’s Back For Revenge 36 Years Later

The first full trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has been released and features the best look yet at new and returning characters in the sequel.

With the lighting, makeup and costume design, and practical effects teased in Beetlejuice 2’s trailers, the upcoming movie looks about as close to the original horror-comedy as a modern film can get. In addition to the technical aspects, the campy acting style and more improvisational, zany comedy are far closer to the 1988 Beetlejuice than in Burton’s recent movies. What one might conjure up when hearing about a “Tim Burton movie” may have changed in recent years, but Beetlejuice 2 looks exactly like how one might have described his films back in the ‘80s and ‘90s. As someone who religiously rewatches Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Corpse Bride, I see many of the elements that I love in these movies making their long-delayed return in Beetlejuice 2.

Every New Cast Reveal Makes Beetlejuice 2 More Of A Must-Watch Movie

Beetlejuice 2’s acclaimed actors elevate the anticipation for entertaining performances

While Beetlejuice 2 was exciting enough when just Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara were confirmed to reprise their roles, the sequel becomes more and more intriguing with each new cast member and character detail. Since confirming the original actors’ returns, it was revealed that Wednesday’s Jenna Ortega would play Lydia’s daughter, Justin Theroux joined the cast as Rory, Willem Dafoe would star as a former B-movie action star who is now an afterlife detective, Monica Bellucci would be Beetlejuice’s wife, and Danny DeVito would cameo in Beetlejuice 2. With so many prolific actors attached, the movie is already guaranteed to be full of compelling performances.

Tim Burton’s movies have had a talent for finding new actors who become breakout stars or utilizing comic, dramatic, or horror stars at the top of their game. Beetlejuice 2 is no different, with many also having previously worked with Burton. Beetlejuice 2’s cast is shaping up to be lightning in a bottle as each actor has enjoyed recent widespread success, such as with Jenna Ortega in Wednesday, Winona Ryder in Stranger Things, Michael Keaton in Dopesick, Willem Dafoe in Poor Things, Justin Theroux in The Leftovers, Danny DeVito in It’s Always Sunny, Monica Bellucci in Twin Peaks: The Return, and Catherine O’Hara in Schitt’s Creek. Doubtlessly, Beetlejuice 2 looks like one of the most entertaining actor showcases in recent horror-comedy history.

Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.

Release Date

September 6, 2024

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures