Tim Burton’s original movie left plenty of questions unanswered, and Beetlejuice 2 has the opportunity to finally address such mysteries 36 years later. The 1988 horror-comedy remains one of Tim Burton’s most beloved movies, with the film serving as the breakout role of Winona Ryder. The success of the original Beetlejuice movie and its long-enduring popularity makes it shocking that it took so long for Tim Burton to make a sequel. Now, nearly four decades after the original, Beetlejuice 2’s new and returning characters’ exciting story will finally hit theaters on September 6, 2024.
While the announcement of new characters, returning faces, and those missing from the sequel beg additional questions about Beetlejuice 2, Burton already has several mysteries left from Beetlejuice’s ending to solve. The characters confirmed to return so far, including Lydia, Beetlejuice, and Delia, bode well for Burton’s upcoming film to tie up the loose ends from the 36-year-old original story. From details about the backstory of Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice to the logistics of the afterlife’s rules, the 2024 follow-up has some lingering questions to provide answers to while continuing to build on the franchise’s unique world and lore.
10 What Happened To The Maitlands’ Hardware Store?
Did Charles ever turn it into an insect zoo?
Though Jane was adamant about selling the Maitlands’ home even before they died, Beetlejuice didn’t reveal whether she had also been put in charge of the real estate dealings for their local business, Maitland Hardware. Adam is seen entering the store briefly at the beginning of the movie before the couple falls from the bridge to their deaths, but the townspeople don’t give an update on whether the store was sold. Charles mentioned wanting to turn it into an insect zoo, but the hardware store’s fate was ultimately left unaddressed.
Related
Beetlejuice 2 Must Avoid Repeating The Original Movie’s Adam & Barbara Plot Hole
With Beetlejuice 2’s story being expected to add new ghosts, Tim Burton’s sequel needs to avoid an original error regarding Adam & Barbara’s deaths.
With Lydia and her daughter still being in Winter River in Beetlejuice 2, the sequel can finally explain what became of the Maitland Hardware after Adam and Barbara’s deaths. It’s unlikely that Lydia would have taken over the shop, but the 2024 movie could see either Ryder or Ortega entering the store to buy something if it’s still in business. However, if Maitland Hardware’s storefront has been replaced with a new business sign, it’ll at least confirm that the store eventually shut down.
9 What Happens After A Ghost Reaches The End Of The 125 Years In Their House?
Where do Adam & Barbara go after 125 years?
One of the afterlife rules in Beetlejuice’s Handbook for the Recently Deceased reveals that ghosts must remain in their homes for the first 125 years after death. It’s unclear whether this means 125 years in afterlife time or living-world time, but it’s safe to say that Adam and Barbara are fated to stay in their Winter River home now owned by the Deetzes for a while. However, the original movie never explains what happens to ghosts once the 125 years run up, including whether they can roam freely between worlds or must stay in an afterlife-specific location.
With Adam and Barbara missing from Beetlejuice 2’s returning characters, the sequel will need a believable way to explain their absences. Since the Maitland/Deetz house is confirmed to return in Beetlejuice 2, it seems that the follow-up will need to use the 125-year rule to provide a reason for why they’re no longer living in the attic. If so, Lydia or an afterlife character may be able to explain where the couple goes next.
8 What Is Beetlejuice’s Real Name?
Was he always just “Beetlejuice?”
Though it’s unlikely that Beetlejuice caught onto the single-name wave from celebrities like Madonna back in the 1980s, Beetlejuice still likely isn’t his real name. Michael Keaton’s character is only ever referred to as “Beetlejuice,” with the Tim Burton movie failing to give him a surname. Even his grave simply states “Here lies Betelgeuse,” so the name given to him at birth remains a mystery. However, Beetlejuice 2 has the opportunity to explore his backstory in more depth, hopefully providing an answer to what his full name was before he died and became a “bio-exorcist.”
7 Why Did Beetlejuice Stop Working For Juno?
Beetlejuice was once the caseworker’s assistant
Juno the caseworker provides a few bits of lore regarding Beetlejuice when warning Adam and Barbara about him. She explains that he was once her assistant, but eventually broke out on his own as a “freelance bio-exorcist,” which got him into even more trouble than when he was working in the afterlife’s bureaucracy. Juno doesn’t reveal what incited his choice to leave and go out on his own, but Beetlejuice 2 can finally provide this context for his career decision.
6 How Long Did Beetlejuice Actually Wait In The Neitherworld Waiting Room?
Beetlejuice’s ticket number was 9,998,383,750,000
Beetlejuice ends with the title character being sent to the afterlife’s Neitherworld waiting room after the Sandworm eats him. While his original ticket number read “9,998,383,750,000,” Beetlejuice attempted to slyly steal the number of the witch doctor ghost beside him, who was next in line with number 4. It’s safe to assume that the witch doctor took back his ticket, which begs the question of how long Beetlejuice ultimately had to sit in the waiting room – and whether he’ll still be there when Beetlejuice 2 begins.
5 How Long Did Lydia Live Alone In Winter River With Just Ghosts?
A cut sequence included some important details about Lydia’s fate
The deleted alternate ending of Beetlejuice reveals Lydia is actually living alone with Adam and Barbara in the Winter River house. The cut sequences included a clip of Delia and Charles living back in New York City while Lydia and the Maitlands remain in Winter River, which surprisingly means that a 16-year-old is living alone in a haunted house in Beetlejuice’s ending. It’s unclear how long that arrangement lasted, as it’s possible that the Deetzes ended up moving back to Winter River, Lydia left town before graduating, or Lydia continued living with the Maitlands until leaving for college.
4 What Happened To Otho After Beetlejuice Scared Him Away?
Otho’s fate after confronting Beetlejuice isn’t addressed
Otho had a strong presence in the original movie as one of Beetlejuice’s supporting characters, but he had a sudden exit during the Deetzes and Maitlands’ climactic confrontation with the titular poltergeist. At one point, Beetlejuice used his powers to change him into an outfit that he never would have picked out himself, sending Otho running out of the house. The ending doesn’t confirm what happened to Otho after this time, but Delia’s return in Beetlejuice 2 means she can finally reveal what became of her friend and interior designer.
3 Did Jane Ever Stop Trying To Sell The Maitlands’ House?
Jane wanted to keep their house on the market
An original subplot that could return in Beetlejuice 2 is Jane’s incessant attempts to sell the Maitlands’ home. The real estate agent wouldn’t stop pestering Adam and Barbara about selling their house until they died, and she likely tried to put it back on the market after the Deetzes owned it for long enough. Beetlejuice’s deleted alternate ending featured Jane trying to get Charles and Delia to sell the house, but the Deetz couple stated they would never do so. Jane also had a young daughter in Beetlejuice, who could try the same tactic on Lydia in Beetlejuice 2’s story.
2 What Happened To Lydia’s Mom?
Lydia’s mother isn’t mentioned in Beetlejuice
One major question left after Beetlejuice’s ending has to do with the family of Winona Ryder’s character Lydia Deetz. The teen moved to Winter River at the beginning of Beetlejuice with her father, Charles (Jeffrey Jones), and stepmother, Delia (Catherine O’Hara). However, the 1988 movie never revealed what happened to her biological mother, failing to address if she was still alive, whether she was back in New York City, or why Lydia didn’t live with her. Considering Lydia didn’t have a very close relationship with Charles or Delia, the complete absence of her mother from the story was quite curious.
Though the original movie never addressed her mother’s fate, the sequel’s focus on the family dynamics of the Deetzes after more than 30 years suggests Beetlejuice 2 may finally answer the mystery surrounding Lydia’s mother. With Lydia herself now being a mother to Jenna Ortega’s character, exploring their mother-daughter relationship means Lydia may also reflect on her history with her own mom as well as Delia. Furthermore, Jeffrey Jones’ absence from the cast means Charles Deetz presumably won’t be in Beetlejuice 2, perhaps setting up a greater focus on the evolving female dynamics of the family.
1 How Did Beetlejuice Die?
Beetlejuice’s exact cause of death remains a mystery
Among the biggest unanswered question in Beetlejuice’s original story is how the titular ghost died. While Michael Keaton’s character mentions having survived the bubonic plague, suggesting he’s over 600 years old in the 1988 movie, he never explains the circumstances of his death. However, Burton’s movie did leave a few hints regarding his death through some comments made by Juno. It’s revealed that Beetlejuice was once the assistant of caseworker Juno, with the film confirming that those who die by suicide become civil servants in the afterlife. Based on this rule and Beetlejuice’s previous profession, it seems he died by suicide.
An earlier version of Beetlejuice’s script corroborated this explanation for the titular character’s death. While cut from the final product, one draft revealed that a drunken Beetlejuice died by hanging after being rejected by a woman. Considering Monica Bellucci has reportedly been cast in Beetlejuice 2 as the wife of Keaton’s character, her role in the sequel may finally be able to confirm the circumstances of Beetlejuice’s death.
Beetlejuice 2
Beetlejuice 2 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
- Director
- Tim Burton
- Cast
- Michael Keaton , Jenna Ortega , Winona Ryder , Monica Bellucci , Willem Dafoe , Justin Theroux , Catherine O’Hara
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
