Tim Burton is returning to direct Beetlejuice 2, and here are 10 of the director’s movie trademarks that we want to see back in the long-awaited sequel. Tim Burton is one of the most well-known filmmakers of all time, with his stylistic choices and iconography being a key part of the director’s recognizability. Many of Tim Burton’s signature trademarks were first coined in Beetlejuice, and now that he is finally returning for a sequel, it’d be nice to see some of these staples as well. These 10 Tim Burton trademarks are absolutely iconic, and they need to come back in Beetlejuice 2.
After years of a sequel being teased, Beetlejuice 2 is finally happening, with Tim Burton returning to direct the highly-anticipated continuation of his 1988 classic. Beetlejuice will continue the story of the titular human exterminator, with Michael Keaton reprising his role as the chaotic ghost and villain from the first film. The cast of Beetlejuice 2 will also see the return of Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, with newcomers like Jenna Ortega and Willem Dafoe joining the film as well. Many details about Beetlejuice 2 are still being kept tightly under wraps, including if these 10 staples of Tim Burton movies will return.
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10 Weird Stop-Motion Creatures
Weird stop-motion creatures are one of the most iconic elements in Tim Burton’s filmmaker toolkit, with many of his films containing characters animated by this method. Alongside the original Beetlejuice, films like Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure contain shockingly weird stop-motion characters, while Burton also directed the stop-motion films The Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie while producing The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach. Stop-motion is key to Tim Burton’s iconography, and it would be a shame to see Beetlejuice‘s stop-motion creatures replaced by CGI in Beetlejuice 2.
9 Black & White Striped Outfits
Tons of Tim Burton movies have featured outfits and costumes that prominently feature black and white stripes, with this design choice needing to return as well. Sleepy Hollow, Alice in Wonderland, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and The Nightmare Before Christmas all feature main characters that wear black and white stripes. However, Beetlejuice probably features the most famous example of this costuming choice, with the titular character wearing a black and white striped suit. This will presumably return in Beetlejuice 2, bringing this iconic trend back.
8 Cameos From Classic Horror Actors
Tons of Tim Burton movies feature cameos from classic horror actors, and since Tim Burton is returning to his Beetlejuice roots, he needs to bring this casting trend back as well. Vincent Price is one of the most iconic horror actors ever, and he collaborated with Tim Burton on his early short film Vincent. Horror actor Michael Gough portrayed Alfred in Burton’s Batman movies, and other horror actors have been sprinkled throughout the director’s filmography. While many classic horror actors have sadly passed on, there are still several who could have horrific cameos in Beetlejuice 2.
7 A Story About An Outcast
Throughout many of Tim Burton’s most successful movies, his stories have revolved around outcasts, something that Beetlejuice 2 should continue. The original Beetlejuice centered on Lydia Deetz, an outcast, and the sequel could easily pull off the same trick with Jenna Ortega’s character. Tim Burton movies like Edward Scissorhands, Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Dumbo, and tons of others have centered around outcasts, with this being a recurring theme in his filmography.
6 The Nightmare Before Christmas Easter Eggs
Although Tim Burton has collaborated with Disney several times, The Nightmare Before Christmas is undoubtedly the most popular one that he has worked on. The film is close to Burton’s heart, with the director hiding Easter eggs in several other films he has worked on. Jack Skellington appears in Beetlejuice and James and the Giant Peach, while the famous Halloweentown hill appears on a tie in Big Fish. The Nightmare Before Christmas has tons of iconography, much of which can be snuck into Beetlejuice 2.
5 Oddly-Shaped Architecture
A signature staple of Tim Burton’s production design is how oddly shaped all of the architecture is, with many buildings being in odd shapes and featuring weird angles. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, and The Nightmare Before Christmas are just some of the films that feature this trend. However, the return of Beetlejuice‘s strange afterlife realms means that oddly-shaped architecture will probably be featured in Beetlejuice 2.
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4 Shrunken Heads
An oddly specific prop that keeps recurring in Tim Burton’s films is shrunken heads, something that will probably be seen again in Beetlejuice 2. Beetlejuice famously ends with a character that has a shrunken head, while The Nightmare Before Christmas sees a young boy pull a shrunken head out of a gift box. Wednesday even features a Tim Burton Easter egg in the form of a shrunken head, with one being seen on the desk in Principal Weems’ office.
3 Tim Burton’s Macabre Comedy
Tim Burton movies are all really dark, but they tend to be pretty funny as well, creating a mix of macabre comedy that has come to define Tim Burton’s style. Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Corpse Bride are just some of the examples of the director’s dark humor, with Beetlejuice arguably being one of Tim Burton’s only straight comedies. Beetlejuice 2 will undoubtedly bring this comedic tone back, returning Burton to his macabre roots.
2 The Return Of Frequent Tim Burton Actors
Major directors often have pools of actors that consistently return in their projects, but Tim Burton’s frequent pool of actors is especially famous. Actors like Winona Ryder, Johnny Depp, Helena-Boham Carter, and Catherine O’Hara have appeared in Burton’s films again and again, and Beetlejuice 2 will probably be no different. Several characters are still missing from Beetlejuice 2, but Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara are all confirmed to return in the sequel, and more characters could appear in surprise cameo roles.
1 A Score By Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman’s music is what makes Tim Burton movies feel like Tim Burton movies, with the musician and director collaborating on all kinds of projects. Elfman started composing for Burton on Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, with him returning for Beetlejuice, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and more. Danny Elfman will be returning for Tim Burton’s long-awaited sequel, with this being one of the most exciting aspects of Beetlejuice 2.
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
- Rating
- Not Yet Rated
- Genres
- Comedy , Supernatural
- Writers
- Mike Vukadinovich
- Studio(s)
- KatzSmith Productions , Tim Burton Productions , Warner Bros. Pictures , Plan B Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
