It almost feels like a sentence from a whole other life but we’ll write it anyway. After almost 40 years, a sequel to Beetlejuice from director Tim Burton is about to hit theaters. Michael Keaton is back as the Ghost with the Most, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara also reprise their roles as the Deitz ladies, and now Jenna Ortega joins the group along with Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux, and Willem Dafoe.
After years of rumors, discussion, speculation, and anticipation, the appropriately titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opens September 6 to kick off our fall 2024 movie season. And, before a larger review embargo breaks next week, a few reviews snuck out along with the social media embargo. Has the near four-decade wait between sequels been worth it? Did Burton and company come back for a good reason? Or did they taint the reputation of the weird, wonderful original? Let’s see what a few critics and influencers who’ve seen the movie say.
#BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice Review: "It’s rewarding to have Tim Burton back in full creative command of the humor, the fantastical imagination and the gleeful morbidity on which he built his name"
More: https://t.co/R1M6fjVueg pic.twitter.com/slBhQiNzIP
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 28, 2024
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is an enjoyable, fast-paced bit of lunacy from Tim Burton that should please the many who've waited decades for its arrival. It certainly leans into nostalgia throughout, but it also manages to have some bizarre new tricks up its sleeve; it's not just…
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) August 28, 2024
Delighted by #BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice. The original is an all-time favorite, and this new one plays like such a joyous romp back into that world.
Michael Keaton doesn’t skip a beat. Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega’s mother/daughter storyline is a big winner for me — the element… pic.twitter.com/bWRY4w7adL
— Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) August 28, 2024
#BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice goes all-in on the legacy front, offering everything you want and less, playing as a Burton buffet that leaves you stuffed if not quite satisfied, and in no real hurry to go back for thirds.
Read our review: https://t.co/4aQ3ugTf50 pic.twitter.com/Fl7uifbhVf
— TheWrap (@TheWrap) August 28, 2024
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Review: It’s A Wonderful Afterlife For Tim Burton’s Joyously Macabre Sequel – #VeniceFilmFestival | #Beetlejuice https://t.co/MeeEXcYNTH
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) August 28, 2024
“Michael Keaton seems to have more energy than he did 35 years ago, bouncing off the purgatorial walls with hilarious gusto.”
Beetlejuice is back in Tim Burton sequel #BeetlejuiceBeetlejuice.
Read the Empire review: https://t.co/JkJuPDjtlA pic.twitter.com/RflP3RVXsZ
— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) August 28, 2024
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Review: Tim Burton’s Delightfully Inventive Sequel Stays Loyal to Original Cult Classic While Deepening Human Stakes https://t.co/7V8wtdXkzs pic.twitter.com/FfAHqS9RDw
— IndieWire (@IndieWire) August 28, 2024
So, it seems like almost everyone who is sharing their opinions today thought the movie worked quite well! Lots of praise of Michael Keaton, which is exciting. Lots of people acknowledged that the story was worth the wait. And, a few saying that even if it’s not as great as the original—how could it be?—it still justifies its existence. Which, in the case of a long-awaited, highly anticipated sequel like this, is just about the best thing anyone could say.
This will all get much murkier next week when all outlets are allowed to run their reviews, but so far so good. If you, like us, were worried that after four decades, Beetlejuice was dead, apparently that is not the case. The likes of Burton, Keaton, Ryder, and crew wouldn’t have come back and risked screwing up Beetlejuice unless they knew they had a movie worth making—and it seems as if they did.
Written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is out September 6. Here’s the official plot description:
After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
