Four months of horror releases down, eight to go! With our 2024 Horror Preview, we’re looking ahead at some of the other horror movies we can’t wait to check out this year. For now, we’re only including movies that have a known release date, so films like the remakes/reboots of The Toxic Avenger and Witchboard are currently absent because they don’t have a release date yet, even though they’re likely to show up at some point in 2024. Here we go:

I SAW THE TV GLOW – Now Playing

JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray wasn’t a fan of I Saw the TV Glow (which is coming our way from A24 and We’re All Going to the World’s Fair director Jane Schoenbrun) when he saw it at the Sundance Film Festival, giving it a 5/10 review (you can read it at THIS LINK) where he said the movie is “so experimental that it feels like a half-baked attempt at a genre version of Inland Empire-era David Lynch.” But maybe it will work better for some genre fans when they get the chance to see it later this year.

TAROT – Now Playing

Formerly known as Horrorscope, this horror film is based on a 1992 novel by Nicholas Adams (pick up a copy HERE). Jacob Batalon, who is best known for playing Peter Parker’s best friend Ned in the recent Spider-Man movies, plays a character who is part of a group of college friends who get their horoscopes read, then start dying in ways connected to their fortunes. Seems sort of like a Final Destination set-up, but with the supernatural aspects pumped way up.

THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 – Theatrical, May 17

Director Renny Harlin has shot an entire trilogy inspired by the 2008 film The Strangers, and we’ve heard that Lionsgate intends to release all three of the movies – said to be titled The Strangers: Chapter 1, The Strangers: Chapter 2, and The Strangers: Chapter 3 – over the course of 2024. Chapter 1 is the only one we know a release date for so far. Madelaine Petsch of Riverdale plays a young woman on a road trip who crosses paths with the title characters when her car breaks down in Oregon.

IN A VIOLENT NATURE – Theatrical, May 31

Written and directed by Chris Nash, In a Violent Nature is a slasher movie that follows a masked killer named Johnny as he hacks his way through a group of vacationing teens – but what sets this movie apart from the slashers we’re familiar with is the fact that the focus is on the killer. Instead of hanging out with the teens while we wait for them to get picked off, the camera follows Johnny as he splatters blood all over the forest. After its theatrical run, In a Violent Nature will be available to watch on the Shudder streaming service.

THE EXORCISM – Theatrical, June 7

Before he worked on The Pope’s Exorcist, Russell Crowe starred in another exorcism horror film that was called The Georgetown Project. Now titled The Exorcism, the film is ready to head out into the world – and what makes it really interesting is the fact that it was written and directed by Joshua John Miller (with M.A. Fortin), the son of Jason Miller, who played Father Karras in the classic The Exorcist. This film tells the story of “Anthony Miller, a troubled actor who begins to unravel while shooting a supernatural horror film. His estranged daughter wonders if he’s slipping back into his past addictions or if there’s something more sinister at play.”

THE WATCHERS – Theatrical, June 14

We’ve seen a lot of thrillers from director M. Night Shyamalan – and in 2024, we’re going to see one from his daughter Ishana Night Shyamalan. The younger Shyamalan makes her feature directorial debut with the story of a group of strangers (including Barbarian‘s Georgina Campbell) being stalked by mysterious creatures in the wilderness of western Ireland. Will Ishana be able to match or exceed the thrills her father has provided? We’ll find out soon.

A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE – Theatrical, June 28

A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II director John Krasinski helped craft the story for this spin-off/prequel directed by Michael Sarnoski, director of the Nicolas Cage drama Pig. Although the release date is just a month away, we still don’t know much about this one beyond the fact that it stars 12 Years a Slave Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn – better known as Eddie Munson from the most recent season of Stranger Things – and Alex Wolff (Hereditary), and is set in New York City. The story doesn’t involve the Abbott family, the characters we followed through the first two movies, but it should be interesting to see the alien creatures stalking people in NYC.

MAXXXINE – Theatrical, July 5

Writer/director Ti West and star Mia Goth blew horror fans away with their collaboration X (which was set in 1979) and its prequel Pearl (set in 1918), and now they’re turning the series into a trilogy with the 1985-set MaXXXine, in which Goth reprises the role of Maxine Minx from X. Maxine is in Hollywood now, pursuing her dream of being a mainstream actress, while the Night Stalker terrorizes L.A. Joining Goth in the cast are singer Halsey, Kevin Bacon (Tremors), Elizabeth Debicki (Tenet), singer Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), Bobby Cannavale (Netflix’s The Watcher), Lily Collins (Emily in Paris), and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad).

LONGLEGS – Theatrical, July 12

The marketing for Longlegs, a psychological horror thriller from director Osgood Perkins – who, yes, is the son of actor Anthony Perkins – has been so awesome and creepy, the actual film might struggle to live up to it. Still, it sounds very promising, with genre regular Maika Monroe taking on the role of an FBI agent who is tracking an elusive serial killer played by Nicolas Cage. Cage has described his character as being like “a possessed Geppetto.”

TRAP – Theatrical, August 2

Two months after his daughter Ishana’s film The Watchers reaches theatres, we’ll be getting another thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan – and this one stars another of his three daughters, Saleka. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but we know that the story plays out at a concert and Saleka, who is an R&B singer/songwriter, plays the popstar on stage. Josh Hartnett, fresh off playing a role in Oppenheimer, plays a father who takes his child to the concert. Shyamalan has had hits and misses, and it’s always interesting to see how his latest film is going to turn out.

CUCKOO – Theatrical, August 9

Hunter Schafer (Euphoria), Dan Stevens (The Guest), Jessica Henwick (Love and Monsters), Marton Csókás (Freelance), Greta Fernández (Santo), and Jan Bluthardt (Tatort) star in the new horror film from writer/director Tilman Singer (Luz). The story follows a 17-year-old American girl who reluctantly moves with her father to a resort in the German Alps… but there’s something strange going in at this resort, leading to an encounter with “a bird-like monster.”

ALIEN: ROMULUS – Theatrical, August 16

Evil Dead (2013) and Don’t Breathe director Fede Alvarez has set the story of Alien: Romulus between the events of the original Alien and Aliens. It involves a group of young people – played by the likes of Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla), David Jonsson (Industry), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Spike Fearn (The Batman), Aileen Wu (Away from Home), and Isabela Merced (Rosaline) – who find themselves in a fight for their lives with the titular alien on a distant colony. All we really needed to know to be sold on this one was “Fede Alvarez directing an Alien movie”.

STREAM – Theatrical, August 21

Directed by Terrifier cast member Michael Leavy and featuring special FX by Terrifier and Terrifier 2 director Damien Leone, Stream tells the story of a family being stalked by deranged murderers at a quaint hotel, and the movie is packed with genre icons. Here’s a sample of the Stream cast list: Tony Todd (the original Candyman himself), Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator), Danielle Harris (Halloween 4), Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Dee Wallace (The Howling), Mark Holton (Leprechaun), Daniel Roebuck (Final Destination), Dave Sheridan (The Devil’s Rejects), Terry Alexander (Day of the Dead), David Howard Thornton (Terrifier), Tim Reid (Stephen King’s It), Charles Edwin Powell (Exorcist III), Bob Adrian (The Conjuring 2), Sydney Malakeh (Cheer Camp Killer), Wesley Holloway (Terrifier 2), and Linden Porco (Leprechaun Returns). 

THE CROW – Theatrical, August 23

The first images of Bill Skarsgard in the titular role in director Rupert Sanders’ reimagining of The Crow didn’t go over very well (and Alex Proyas, the director of the original film, let it be known that he wasn’t a fan). However, the folks behind the movie say this is NOT a remake and that it’s a fresh reimagining of the character James O’Barr came up with when he created the Crow comic book series. So, there’s a good a chance the new movie could still work even for viewers who think the new version of the character looks ridiculous.

BEETLEJUICE 2 – Theatrical, September 6

Thirty-six years after the classic Beetlejuice was released, we’re finally getting a sequel. Director Tim Burton is back at the helm, Michael Keaton is reprising the role of the title character, and Winona Ryder is back as Lydia Deetz, with Catherine O’Hara returning as her stepmother Delia. Joining the party are Monica Bellucci as Beetlejuice’s wife, Willem Dafoe as a law enforcement officer in the afterlife, Justin Theroux in an unspecified role, and Burton’s Wednesday star Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s daughter. Depending on whether or not Burton and his cast were able to recapture some of the original magic, Beetlejuice 2 could be a blast.

SPEAK NO EVIL – Theatrical, September 13

Director James Watkins and Blumhouse have teamed up to bring us a remake of the 2022 Danish film Gæsterne, a.k.a. Speak No Evil – and if this is as intense as the original film was, it sounds like it’s going to be a real endurance challenge for a lot of viewers. The story centers on “a family who takes a dream holiday to an idyllic country house, only to have the vacation turn into a psychological nightmare,” and the cast includes James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Scott McNairy, Aisling Franciosi, and Alix West Lefler.

TERRIFIER 3 – Theatrical, October 11

Terrifier 3 may be reaching theatres in time for Halloween, but unlike its predecessors this one is not set on Halloween. Instead, the setting is moving a couple months, over to Christmastime. Writer/director Damien Leone had a budget of around $55,000 to work with on the first Terrifier movie, and a budget of “a little over” $250,000 for Terrifier 2 – which was so successful, a “couple million” is going into the budget of Terrifier 3. Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton) will be spilling more blood and facing off against heroine Sienna (Lauren LaVera) again, and Leone said he’s aiming to make this one shorter and less mystical than the second film.

SMILE 2 – Theatrical, October 18

Writer/director Parker Finn’s sequel to his 2022 horror film Smile is another project we don’t know much about yet, but Finn has said that if he were to make a Smile 2 he would want to make sure it’s “new, exciting, fresh” rather than just a retread of its predecessor. The freshness begins with the casting of Naomi Scott – who was not in Smile – as the lead character in Smile 2. The release date and the involvement of Finn and Scott are the only pieces of information that have been provided so far.

NIGHTBITCH – Theatrical, December 6

Amy Adams stars in this darkly comic “neo-horror” movie, written and directed by Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) and based on a novel by Rachel Yoder. The lead character is a stay-at-home suburban mom who begins to suspect that she might be turning into a dog… and that’s about all we know about this one so far. Scott McNairy plays Adams’ “oft-traveling husband,” while Mary Holland takes on an unspecified role.

NOSFERATU – Theatrical, December 25

Nine years have gone by since it was first announced that The Witch director Robert Eggers was going to be writing and directing a remake of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent classic Nosferatu. At the end of this year, we’re finally going to be able to see what Eggers – who made The Lighthouse and The Northman in the interim – has done with the concept. Bill Skarsgard (It) plays the title character and is joined in the cast by Lily-Rose Depp (The Idol), Nicholas Hoult (Renfield), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Bullet Train), Emma Corrin (The Crown), Ralph Ineson (The Witch), Simon McBurney (The Conjuring 2), and the legendary Willem Dafoe, who plays a crazy vampire hunter. Focus Features wanted to give this film “a prime holiday season release”, so they clearly believe Eggers has turned in something special.

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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, director Tim Burton’s long-awaited sequel to his 1988 classic Beetlejuice (watch it HERE), is set to reach theatres on September 6th. Since this is one of the most highly anticipated releases of the year, it was, of course, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was promoted during the Warner Bros. panel at CinemaCon, the gathering of movie theater owners from around the world currently being held in Las Vegas.

During the Warner Bros. panel at CinemaCon, the crowd saw footage highlighting the film’s practical effects. JoBlo’s editor-in-chief, Chris Bumbray, says Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has more of the original’s style than the teaser trailer made it look. Keaton looks like the Ghost With the Most and hasn’t lost a step. WB showed more of what Keaton’s performance is like, and it’s fantastic!

Tim Burton took the stage with Catherine O’Hara, Monica Belluci, Willem Dafoe, and Michael Keaton. The crowd chanted “Beetlejuice” three times to draw out the show’s star. They were all dressed in black, but Keaton said he had no idea there was a dress code and was there with white pants and a brown jacket, making for a funny moment.

Burton says he’s always identified with Lydia and was intrigued by how life changes us. Keaton said he and Burton always kicked around the notion of doing the sequel, but it never got there. It was tough to get the script right, but Keaton also said he just followed Burton’s lead and said, in his Beetlejuice voice, “it’s really fucking good.”

Burton said Monica Bellucci fulfilled his lifelong dream of making an Italian horror film. Dafoe said he was always a fan of the original and loved they didn’t use CGI. Theroux said it felt more like a fun independent film, as everything is real, with rubber, latex, makeup, etc.

Keaton added that this was the most fun he had ever had making a movie. He was very nervous to see if they could pull it off again, but it got easier as it went on. He also said Jenna Ortega seemed to nail the tone immediately and that it was perfect.

The CinemaCon crowd then saw the new trailer. Chris thinks it’s much better than the teaser. Beetlejuice had pined for Lydia, and he was still obsessed when he was awakened. Notably, you see the Jeffrey Jones character get killed by a shark, but in stop-motion.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was in development hell for decades before it finally got made. In 1990, Jonathan Gems was hired to write a sequel that was going to be titled Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. Burton considered having Daniel Waters rewrite that script, Pamela Norris did rewrite it, and Warner Bros. offered Kevin Smith the chance to do another rewrite. He turned it down. Seth Grahame-Smith was hired to write and produce a new version of a sequel in 2011. Mike Vukadinovich was brought on to rewrite his script in 2017.

Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, co-creators and co-showrunners of Wednesday, have written the screenplay for Beetlejuice 2 that was actually filmed. Brad Pitt’s Plan B is producing the sequel, which filmed in London before moving to Vermont and Massachusetts.

Here’s the official synopsis: Beetlejuice is back! 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.

Michael Keaton is back in the role of the titular “ghost with the most” and is joined in the cast by Winona Ryder, reprising the role of Lydia Deetz; Catherine O’Hara, back as Lydia’s stepmother Delia; Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s daughter Astrid, Justin Theroux as a fellow named Rory,  Monica Bellucci as Beetlejuice’s wife and Willem Dafoe as a law enforcement officer in the afterlife. Arthur Conti is also in there, in an unspecified role. 

Are you looking forward to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Say his name three times. Do it. Unlike Candyman, most people would love to summon the bio-exorcist Beetlejuice. He’s the Ghost With The Most. The film Beetlejuice became an instant classic when it haunted theater screens in the spring of 1988. Burton’s visual aesthetic, along with the amazing performances by Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, captivated audiences. The horror comedy easily grossed over $75 Million at the box office on a $15 Million budget. People loved the character, and he even got a Saturday morning cartoon spin-off that kids loved, but it’s taken thirty-five years for them to get Beetlejuice 2 (or as it’ s now called, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) off the ground!

While, after many false starts, the Beetlejuice sequel has just about finished shooting, believe it or not, work on Beetlejuice 2 began not long after the original movie premiered! We did a whole video that dived into the production history that you can watch here, but here’s the gist of it:

Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian?

In 1990 Tim Burton was riding high on his Batman film breaking all sorts of records at the summer box office. He had a golden ticket to work on anything he wanted. As he was finishing up work on Edward Scissorhands, he began to turn his attention to what his next projects would be. He had another Batman film on the horizon but wanted to get working on one of his other projects. Burton hired British playwright Jonathan Gems to work on a script for Beetlejuice 2 called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian.

Tim Burton wanted to take the character out of the dreary underworld and put him in the colorful and sun-filled islands. The Deetz family was going to move there to open a new resort. Turns out Charles didn’t do any research and ended up building it on the resting place of a great Hawaiian Kahuna. The spirit would come back to the world of the living and cause problems for the family and surrounding citizens causing them to call in the big guns. At one point Beetlejuice even wins a surfing contest by using his magic. It seems strange but Jonathan Gems said Burton loved the idea. “Tim thought it would be funny to match the surfing backdrop of a beach movie with some sort of German Expressionism because they’re totally wrong together,”

Keaton and Ryder both agreed to return on the condition that Burton would again be directing. Before work could get started on it Burton and Keaton got busy with Batman Returns. A few years later producer David Geffen would hire writer Pamela Norris to take a shot at rewriting the script. It eventually fell into development hell. Famously Kevin Smith was offered a chance to take a shot at it. He turned it down in favor of writing Superman Lives. When asked why he turned it down he replied, “didn’t we say all we needed to say in the first Beetlejuice? Must we go tropical?”

Eventually, the project died. When he was asked about the Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian script, Jonathan Gems said it was too late to make the film as Ryder had aged out of the part as it was written. They would have to recast and no one really wanted that.

New After-Life

After two decades of sitting on the shelf, in 2011 Warner Bros. approached Seth Grahame-Smith about writing a new sequel and even producing it. He had worked with Burton on Dark Shadows and Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter previously. Smith said he signed to make sure it was “a story that is worthy of us actually doing this for real, something that is not just about cashing in, is not just about forcing a remake or a reboot down someone’s throat.” He said he had met with Keaton about doing the film, and he was on board.

They had gone over the story and Keaton seemed to be really excited to finally get back to the character. Ryder herself said that she was excited to return to the role but only if Burton and Keaton were involved. She stated that Lydia was an important part of her that she wanted to explore again 27 years later. Burton said that they had been working on the script and were excited to get started in 2014.

It seemed that the sequel was moving forward and everyone was happy . . . but that window came and went and no movement happened on the film. In 2015 Ryder was on a talk show and said she was for sure coming back to the role and that she couldn’t wait to get started. By 2017 screenwriter Mike Vukadinovich was hired to do a re-write of the script. In 2019 Warner Bros. confirmed that the project was in fact sitting in the waiting room of the afterlife. Burton and Keaton eventually did reunite, for the Disney remake of Dumbo in 2019.

Our only hope is . . . Brad Pitt?

With the project once again dead on arrival there looked like no hope of ever seeing a Beetlejuice 2… until Brad Pitt stepped in. Well, not Brad Pitt personally but his production company Plan B Entertainment. In February of 2022, his company announced its producing the new film, and sure enough – it actually happened this time, with Alfred Gough and Miles Millar writing the screenplay.

Beetlejuice 2: The Cast

Burton has stated in the past that he would only do the film if Keaton agreed to return, but the stars aligned and it finally happened. We never thought we would see him back in the Batsuit either but hey, that happened too. Just recently, we got our first look (thanks to Entertainment Weekly) at Keaton reprising the role for the first time in thirty-six years!

Costume designer Colleen Atwood confirmed that Keaton would be wearing his iconic black and white striped suit again, although she admitted that Keaton has more of an affinity for the Burgundy tux.

Other confirmed cast members include original Beetlejuice heroine Winona Ryder, who’s reprising her role as Lydia Deetz opposite Catherine O’Hara, who also returns as her mother Delia Deetz. It’s been confirmed that Jeffrey Jones, who had a rather sordid brush with the law many years ago and has not worked much since, will not be returning. In fact, the newly released teaser seems to suggest his character has been killed off.

Jenna Ortega, who previously teamed with Burton on Netflix’s wildly popular show Wednesday, plays Lydia’s daughter Astrid. Justin Theroux is in there as a character named Rory. Monica Bellucci, who in real life is dating Burton (lucky guy!), is also in the cast, apparently as Beetlejuice’s wife, while Willem Dafoe apparently plays a dead B-movie action star, which sounds kind of hilarious. There’s also a rumour that Jean-Claude Van Damme has a cameo. Maybe as a former co-star of Dafoe’s?

Keaton Loves It!

While promoting his new film, Knox Goes Away, Keaton raved about an early cut of the film he saw on the Jess Cagle Show:

“It is really good. And beautiful. Beautiful, you know, physically. You know what I mean? The other one was so fun and exciting visually. It’s all that, but really kind of beautiful and interestingly emotional here and there. I wasn’t ready for that, you know. Yeah, it’s great.

What’s It About?

Here’s the official synopsis from the studio:

“Beetlejuice is back!  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.”

When Will We See It?

As of now, Warner Brothers have set the release of the film for September 6, 2024. They recently put out the first poster, which also confirmed the new title, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as well as the release date:

When will we get a trailer?

While a full trailer has yet to be released, we did get a sixty second teaser trailer showing Keaton and Ryder back in action:

Attendees of the Warner Bros. panel at the CinemaCon event got to see an extended preview that highlighted the film’s practical effects. JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray reported, “WB showed more of what Keaton’s performance is like, and it’s fantastic! The full trailer is much better than the teaser. Beetlejuice had pined for Lydia, and he was still obsessed when he was awakened. Notably, you see the Jeffrey Jones character get killed by a shark, but in stop-motion.”

Are you excited to see Beetlejuice Beetlejuice? Let us know in the comments.

The post Everything We Know About Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice appeared first on JoBlo.

Michael Keaton is back as the titular Ghost with the Most in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, director Tim Burton’s long-awaited sequel to his 1988 classic Beetlejuice (watch it HERE).  Winona Ryder is reprising the role of Lydia Deetz. Catherine O’Hara is back as Lydia’s stepmother Delia. But now The Hollywood Reporter has been able to confirm that Jeffrey Jones, who played Lydia’s father Charles in the original movie, is not in the sequel. Few fans expected him to be, as Jones hasn’t gotten a lot of screen acting jobs since 2003, when he pled no contest to “hiring a 14-year-old boy to pose naked for photos, for which he was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to register as a sex offender.” He has been in a few movies since then, but his most substantial job was on the TV series Deadwood. He appeared on 35 episodes of that show from 2004 to 2006, then returned for Deadwood: The Movie in 2019.

Eagle-eyed fans spotted a picture of Jones on a tombstone glimpsed in the trailer that was released yesterday. The fact that his character is dead wouldn’t have necessarily been enough to keep him out of the movie, since the Beetlejuice films deal with ghosts and the afterlife… but no, Charles does not have a role in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, living or dead.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was in development hell for decades before it finally got made. In 1990, Jonathan Gems was hired to write a sequel that was going to be titled Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. Burton considered having Daniel Waters rewrite that script, Pamela Norris did rewrite it, and Warner Bros. offered Kevin Smith the chance to do another rewrite. He turned it down. Seth Grahame-Smith was hired to write and produce a new version of a sequel in 2011. Mike Vukadinovich was brought on to rewrite his script in 2017.

Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, co-creators and co-showrunners of Wednesday, have written the screenplay for Beetlejuice 2 that was actually filmed. Brad Pitt’s Plan B is producing the sequel, which filmed in London before moving to Vermont and Massachusetts.

Here’s the official synopsis: Beetlejuice is back! 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.

Keaton, Ryder, and O’Hara are joined in the cast by Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s daughter Astrid, Justin Theroux as a fellow named Rory, Monica Bellucci as Beetlejuice’s wife, and Willem Dafoe as a law enforcement officer in the afterlife. Arthur Conti is also in there, in an unspecified role. 

What do you think of Jeffrey Jones only appearing in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as a picture on a tombstone? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Yesterday, we saw a couple first look images from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, director Tim Burton’s long-awaited sequel to his 1988 classic Beetlejuice (watch it HERE) – and now the first teaser trailer for the film has arrived online! You can check it out in the embed above. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is set to reach theatres on September 6th, so we still have over five months left to wait for this one.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was in development hell for decades before it finally got made. In 1990, Jonathan Gems was hired to write a sequel that was going to be titled Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. Burton considered having Daniel Waters rewrite that script, Pamela Norris did rewrite it, and Warner Bros. offered Kevin Smith the chance to do another rewrite. He turned it down. Seth Grahame-Smith was hired to write and produce a new version of a sequel in 2011. Mike Vukadinovich was brought on to rewrite his script in 2017.

Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, co-creators and co-showrunners of Wednesday, have written the screenplay for Beetlejuice 2 that was actually filmed. Brad Pitt’s Plan B is producing the sequel, which filmed in London before moving to Vermont and Massachusetts.

Here’s the official synopsis: Beetlejuice is back! 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.

Michael Keaton is back in the role of the titular “ghost with the most” and is joined in the cast by Winona Ryder, reprising the role of Lydia Deetz; Catherine O’Hara, back as Lydia’s stepmother Delia; Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s daughter Astrid, Justin Theroux as a fellow named Rory,  Monica Bellucci as Beetlejuice’s wife and Willem Dafoe as a law enforcement officer in the afterlife. Arthur Conti is also in there, in an unspecified role. 

Burton told Entertainment Weekly that, after putting off a Beetlejuice sequel for decades, he connected with the idea of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice because he was interested in catching up with the Lydia character and seeing where she is now. He said, “I so identified with the Lydia character, but then you get to all these years later, and you take your own journey, going from cool teenager to lame adult, back and forth again. That made it emotional, gave it a foundation. So that was the thing that really truly got me into it.“

He also explained the choice of the title, and why the poster (you can check it out below) has the odd 2024 A.D. addition on it, which made some of us think that was part of the title. “It’s been, what? Thirty-five years. So it didn’t feel like Beetlejuice 2 to me. It didn’t feel like that kind of a movie. The other one I thought of, because one of my favorite Dracula movies is Dracula A.D. 1972, was Beetlejuice 2024 A.D. But this (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) was a nice simple one.“

Are you looking forward to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice? What did you think of the teaser trailer? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Beetlejuice Beetlejuice teaser trailer: the Ghost with the Most returns this September! appeared first on JoBlo.

We’ve heard rumblings that a trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, director Tim Burton’s long-awaited sequel to his 1988 classic Beetlejuice (watch it HERE) might be dropping online very soon – but while we wait for that trailer to show up, Entertainment Weekly has unveiled a pair of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice first look images that show Michael Keaton back in the role of the titular “ghost with the most”, Winona Ryder reprising the role of Lydia Deetz (accompanied by Catherine O’Hara, back as Lydia’s stepmother Delia), and also give us a glimpse of new characters played by Jenna Ortega and Justin Theroux! You can take a look at these images at the bottom of this article.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was in development hell for decades before it finally got made. In 1990, Jonathan Gems was hired to write a sequel that was going to be titled Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. Burton considered having Daniel Waters rewrite that script, Pamela Norris did rewrite it, and Warner Bros. offered Kevin Smith the chance to do another rewrite. He turned it down. Seth Grahame-Smith was hired to write and produce a new version of a sequel in 2011. Mike Vukadinovich was brought on to rewrite his script in 2017.

Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, co-creators and co-showrunners of Wednesday, have written the screenplay for Beetlejuice 2 that was actually filmed. Plot details are being kept under wraps. Brad Pitt’s Plan B is producing the sequel, which filmed in London before moving to Vermont and Massachusetts.

The actors mentioned above are joined in the cast by Monica Bellucci as Beetlejuice’s wife and Willem Dafoe as a law enforcement officer in the afterlife. Arthur Conti is also in there, in an unspecified role. Jenna Ortega’s character is Lydia’s daughter Astrid, but all we know about Justin Theroux’s character is his name: Rory.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is set to reach theatres on September 6th. Are you looking forward to it? Check out these images, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Say it once. Say it twice. Three times a charm. Michael Keaton got to have a hilarious moment at last night’s Oscars with the Batman villains confronting him, and his week looks to be getting better for him as his most anticipated sequel is about to burst from its grave. Keaton recently said in an interview that he has seen Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, in which he reunites with Tim Burton, and he would surprisingly be moved by how it came out. Keaton stated, “It is really good. And beautiful. Beautiful, you know, physically. You know what I mean? The other one was so fun and exciting visually. It’s all that, but really kind of beautiful and interestingly emotional here and there. I wasn’t ready for that, you know. Yeah, it’s great.”

World of Reel has now unveiled that the movie has been test screening in California and a trailer may be crossing over into our world fairly soon. The screenings have garnered fairly positive reactions and some plot details have now surfaced. According to World of Reel, the plot synopsis reads, “After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return to the small Vermont town of Winter River. Paranormal empath, Lydia Deetz, begins to see the lecherous demon Beetlejuice, who haunted her as a teenager. His plans to finally marry Lydia are given extra urgency when his dead wife comes to life and begins to stalk the Afterlife hunting for him. Meanwhile, Lydia’s teenage daughter embarks on a romance with a local teen.”

More details from the screening confirm that Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin do not make cameos in the film (however, the movie does have some surprising cameos from other notable actors) and do not expect Willem Dafoe to have a significant amount of screen time. Some of the standout comments refer to the practical visuals. Tim Burton has said before that he’s gone back to basics with special effects and that he approached the sequel like he did with the original one. According to World of Reel, there have been “great things” said “about the visuals. Burton uses a lot of practical effects in this film, and it’s said to be visually beautiful to look at. Also, unlike the original, Michael Keaton’s titular character is the good guy this time around as he helps Lydia (Winona Ryder) find her Daughter and her boyfriend who somehow ended up getting trapped in the afterlife.”

The post Beetlejuice Beetlejuice trailer possibly drops within the week as plot details have been revealed appeared first on JoBlo.

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.

Beetlejuice by Sam Dunn

Dragon Ball Z by Edwin Huang

Dune Part Two by Owen Ruthven

The Hulk by The Pokeball Guy

Jaws by Phase Runner

Kung Fu Panda by Patrick Connan

Loki by MVG Studios

Mad Max: The Road Warrior by Melvin Mago

Psycho by Carles Ganya

The post Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net: Dragon Ball, Dune, The Hulk, Jaws, Kung Fu Panda, Loki, and More! appeared first on JoBlo.

The journey to get a Beetlejuice sequel has been a long one. But like stepping onto Saturn, time has flown since filming wrapped earlier this year, and since then, those anticipating Beetlejuice Beetlejuice have been treated to news about minimal CGI, teases about new characters and what stands as the best poster of the year so far. Now, Michael Keaton is giving even more hype, saying “this thing is great.”

Speaking on The Jess Cagle Show, Michael Keaton said he has seen a cut of this summer’s Beetlejuice sequel and it is everything he had hoped for. “It is really good. And beautiful. Beautiful, you know, physically. You know what I mean? The other one was so fun and exciting visually. It’s all that, but really kind of beautiful and interestingly emotional here and there. I wasn’t ready for that, you know. Yeah, it’s great.” He went on the praise both returning and new cast members, adding, “It’s great and the cast, I mean, Catherine [O’Hara], if you thought she was funny last time, double it. She’s so funny and Justin Theroux is like, I mean, come on.” O’Hara of course returns as Delia Deetz, while Theroux signed on last spring. Other newcomers in the cast include Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s daughter, Monica Bellucci has Betelgeuse’s wife and Willem Dafoe as a dead B movie actor.

Keaton would go on to say how excited he is to check out another cut of the Beetlejuice sequel once it’s complete. “It’s just so fun and I’ve seen it now, I’m gonna see it again after a couple little tweaks in the editing room and I confidently say this thing is great.” Keaton has been all in on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice since it got the greenlight, which no doubt amps up excitement for many of us. Showtime for the sequel is September 6th.

The journey from the original Beetlejuice to its sequel more than 35 years later is a long one that we couldn’t possibly get into here. But might we suggest you say aloha to our episode of  “WTF Happened to This Movie?!”, which not only hits on Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian but the production of the original movie.

How excited are you for the sequel to Beetlejuice? Let us know below!

The post Michael Keaton gives Beetlejuice 2 an early rave appeared first on JoBlo.

The 1988 Tim Burton-directed classic Beetlejuice (watch it HERE) is finally getting a sequel this year, with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice set to reach theatres on September 6th. Burton directed the sequel, for which Michael Keaton is back in the title role, Winona Ryder is reprising the role of Lydia Deetz, and Catherine O’Hara returns as Lydia’s stepmother Delia. We’ve known for a while that Jenna Ortega will be playing Lydia’s daughter in the film – and during a new interview with Vanity Fair, Ortega talked a little bit about working on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, revealing along the way that her character’s name is Astrid.

Commenting on the original film, Ortega said, “I had always loved the movie. I think the first time I saw it was actually at a friend’s house, and then the rest of the time, I’d see it whenever it was playing on TV around Halloween. Before I’d even seen the movie, I knew who Beetlejuice was. I knew who Lydia was. I was able to recognize costumes just because it was everywhere. … That’s why I was excited that they were bringing it back as well. I feel like studios nowadays, of course they want people in seats and you’ve got to do reboots or sequels or things like that to get people entwined, but to bring Beetlejuice back—of all of the stories—is so good because people need to revisit weird, strange, off-putting stories again. We need to introduce the younger generation that’s always on the phone to new artistic and creative ideas. The weirder you get with it, the more people you can get to see it, I think will probably do a lot for film in general.“

When she was asked for details, she said, “I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say, but I am Lydia Deetz’s daughter, so I’ll give that away. She’s weird, but in a different way and not in the way you’d assume, I would say. The relationship between Lydia and Astrid, my character, is very important. And it’s also really strange because it’s a lot of catching up and putting the pieces together of what’s gone on in Lydia’s life since, which is nice, I think, for anybody who loves the character and is excited to see her again. I wouldn’t say (Astrid is) bright and sunny at all. She doesn’t go to the opposite end of the spectrum, but any kid who becomes a teenager wants to be removed from their parents. I think they instantly just fight whatever it is that their parent loves. So I think it’s a little bit of that. I’m not wearing pink and a cheerleader, but I am a little bit against my mom’s history or past. We butt heads quite a bit. For me, Lydia is the coolest ever. So then to play her daughter and also have to be like, ‘Mom…,’ and roll your eyes was definitely more challenging for me as an actor, but super fun to play.“

Beetlejuice 2 was in development hell for decades before it finally got made. In 1990, Jonathan Gems was hired to write a sequel that was going to be titled Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. Burton considered having Daniel Waters rewrite that script, Pamela Norris did rewrite it, and Warner Bros. offered Kevin Smith the chance to do another rewrite. He turned it down. Seth Grahame-Smith was hired to write and produce a new version of a sequel in 2011. Mike Vukadinovich was brought on to rewrite his script in 2017.

Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, co-creators and co-showrunners of Wednesday, have written the screenplay for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice that was actually filmed. Plot details are being kept under wraps. Brad Pitt’s Plan B is producing the sequel, which filmed in London before moving to Vermont and Massachusetts.

Ortega, Keaton, Ryder, and O’Hara are joined in the cast by Monica Bellucci as Beetlejuice’s wife, Willem Dafoe as a law enforcement officer in the afterlife, and Justin Theroux in an unspecified role.

Are you looking forward to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice? What do you think of what Jenna Ortega had to say about her character Astrid? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Jenna Ortega talks about her Beetlejuice Beetlejuice character Astrid appeared first on JoBlo.