Tim Burton shuts down ‘Beetlejuice 3’ rumours: “I don’t necessarily see it”
Tim Burton has expressed doubt over the return of his beloved Beetlejuice series and shot down rumours that a third is on its way.
Burton was the genius behind the return of the comedy-horror, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which hit cinemas in 2024. Original cast members such as Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton and Catherine O’Hara returned to reprise their roles first played in the 1986 movie.
In April, Mike De Luca, the American film studio executive, film producer and screenwriter behind Fifty Shades Darker, said that development on Beetlejuice 3 was starting “imminently.” When the interviewer at The Hollywood Reporter noted this to Burton, he responded, “Really? Nobody told me. Maybe I’ve been replaced.”
De Luca addressed the gap between the first and the second movies, commenting, “It took 35 years to make the second one, so by that time I’ll be 105. I know those odds are not good.”
He reminisced about making the second movie using the improvisation techniques that led to the success of the first. “I really, really enjoyed making this one, and [Warner Bros.] didn’t even really want to do it. We did it the same way I did the first one, with the actors doing improv. It was beautiful to see some of the old cast and have Jenna. But it’s like trying to re-create the Wednesday dance scene. I love the characters, but I don’t necessarily see it.”
He also noted that, though he joked about being replaced, he wouldn’t take so kindly to that eventuality. “I feel very proprietary about everything I do, even if I don’t own the characters. When they did the [Beetlejuice Broadway musical], I got pissed.”
It was recently announced that Burton’s beloved Netflix series Wednesday, which stars Jenna Ortega as the titular character, has been renewed for a third season. A spin-off is also reportedly being considered.
The new series will launch in two parts. The first four episodes will be released on August 6th, and the final four will be released on September 3rd, exclusively on Netflix. Tim Burton will direct half of the second season, as he did with the first.
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