Before Winona Ryder joined Stranger Things, she had one very specific condition linked to Beetlejuice, which ended up becoming relevant nearly a decade later. Ryder’s role as Lydia Deetz in Tim Burton’s 1988 movie was just the start of her bright career. After emerging as one of Hollywood’s big up-and-comers, Ryder had a steady career over the next few decades, appearing in titles like Heathers, Edward Scissorhands, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Alien Resurrection, and Black Swan. Then, in 2016, Ryder starred in her first major TV show, portraying Joyce Byers in Netflix’s Stranger Things.

Through Stranger Things‘ four seasons, Joyce has remained a critical character within the sci-fi series. After dealing with the disappearance of her son Will in season 1, she became fully immersed in the mysterious happenings stemming from Hawkins’ link to the Upside Down. Ryder is back among Stranger Things‘ cast ahead of the fifth and final season. While it’s unclear what’s truly in store for Joyce and the others in the concluding chapter, it’s arriving at a special time for the actress, especially when looking back at one career detail.

Winona Ryder’s Only Condition For Joining Stranger Things Was That They Let Her Do Beetlejuice 2

Ryder Knew The Chances For Beetlejuice 2 Happening Were Strong

Interestingly, Winona Ryder was one of the first cast members announced for Stranger Things. The show didn’t explode in popularity until word-of-mouth and great buzz took hold of the title’s release in the summer of 2016. Before Ryder agreed to sign on as Joyce, she met with the show’s creators, The Duffer Brothers, with a specific stipulation. According to the actress (via Harper’s BAZAAR), during her first meeting with the Duffers, Ryder shared that her one condition for joining Stranger Things was that they allowed her to go and work on Beetlejuice 2 if it ever ended up happening.

Considering Ryder’s Stranger Things casting was announced in June 2015, her meeting with the Duffers would have been around that time. The co-creators fully agreed to Ryder’s Beetlejuice sequel condition, with Ryder confirming that she had been in contact with Burton at different times over the past 15 years at that point about the possibility of the sequel. Stranger Things even included a nod to Beetlejuice and Ryder’s past in season 3. Nearly a decade after Ryder joined Stranger Things, the long-awaited Beetlejuice 2 movie finally happened, fully paying off her one condition.

Beetlejuice 2 Releasing Before Stranger Things’ Ending Is Even More Exciting

Winona Ryder’s Upcoming Releases Will Be A Career Highlight

It’s already been two years since Stranger Things season 4 debuted, but there still isn’t a release date for the fifth season other than the expectation that it will arrive sometime in 2025. Beetlejuice 2, on the other hand, is set to release this September. Considering the Beetlejuice sequel and Stranger Things season 5 were filming around the same time, the Duffers likely had to work around Ryder’s busy schedule. The production overlap also means both of Ryder’s highly anticipated projects will come within a relatively short period of one another.

What was brought up as a possibility in 2015 will turn out to be a massive pop culture event for fans of Winona Ryder and two of her beloved roles. Whereas Stranger Things gives Ryder and the cast a way to embrace the ’80s era, Beetlejuice 2 allows the actress the opportunity to jump back into a role that helped define her career in the ’80s. Who knows if there will be more Beetlejuice sequels in the future, but with her back in the spotlight and Stranger Things coming to an end, it wouldn’t be surprising to see upcoming projects fight for Ryder’s involvement.

Source: Harper’s BAZAAR