Credit: ITMWhile there are many outstanding filmmakers, it is uncommon to have a director pull in an audience based on name alone. They must possess a distinct creative style over many hit projects before being associated with the likes of Hitchcock, Spielberg, Tarantino, Scorsese, Nolan, and Del Toro. Tim Burton is such a cinematic legend by creating unique worlds filled with monsters, ghosts, and paler versions of Johnny Depp. Now, one of his prolific costume designers has confirmed how the look of Beetlejuice 2 may differ from the original classic.
Tim Burton did not have the same level of esteem when he made Beetlejuice in 1988. His only major feature at that point was the surprise hit Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985). Burton would best exemplify his directorial style with Beetlejuice as it was a charming yet tragic story with over-the-top visuals and a campy Gothic style. These would become indelible hallmarks within almost all of Burton’s future films.
Beetlejuice was one of the cinematic standouts of the decade. Aside from its unmistakable visual style, it included a stellar ensemble cast such as Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton. Their chemistry immersed viewers into the bizarre world of the afterlife that featured bright, bold colors, giant sandworms and scene-stealing poltergeists.
The original story centered around the tragic death of a young couple (Davis and Baldwin) whose untimely demise confined their spirits to their newly purchased house. When a new family purchases the home, the ghostly duo conspire to scare the new buyers from their humble abode. Yet, when their efforts prove futile, they regrettably enlist the help of a scheming, yet hilarious ghoul named Beetlejuice (Keaton).
Even though many Burton fans are excited that Beetlejuice is getting a sequel, albeit 36 years later, the time gap does cause concern. Unfortunately, not all delayed sequels are well-received or can recapture the same magic as their originals. For every Top Gun: Maverick, there is a Coming 2 America, Mary Poppins Returns, Men in Black III, The Godfather: Part III, and Dumb and Dumber To.
Apart from nostalgia, the one great thing Burton has utilized is bringing on board four-time Oscar-winning costume designer, Colleen Atwood. She first teamed up with Burton for Edward Scissorhands (1990). Since then she has gone on to work on cinematic classics like The Silence of the Lambs, Sleepy Hollow, Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, and most recently, Netflix’s Wednesday with Jenna Ortega.
Atwood was asked in an interview if Beetlejuice’s iconic black-and-white striped suit would return for the sequel. The renowned designer divulged, “Well Beetlejuice has to have a striped suit. It’s like doing Alice in Wonderland, [she] needs a blue dress.” However, she did state that, “How long they wear it is another thing…Strangely, it was Michael [Keaton], he thinks the burgundy tux is the quintessential Beetlejuice, not the striped suit.”
Her confirmation that the suit will be donned again by the sassy specter is reassuring to many fans, but her response did imply that the suit will be upgraded for something else. Even though that may be disappointing to some of the fanbase, a long-awaited sequel like this needs to ride a fine line between honoring the original source material, but also cultivating its own unique style.
Beetlejuice 2 is currently slated for a September 6, 2024 release date.
What do you think Atwood’s comments?