“Beetlejuice 2” Will Include a Wedding Scene—Here’s What We Know

Fans of the 1988 fantasy comedy Beetlejuice have been eagerly anticipating the release of the sequel, Beetlejuice 2—which is expected to premiere on September 6, 2024—and they just got a sneak peak of what’s in store for the upcoming film. On July 5, 2023, Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder were spotted on the set of the movie in Hertfordshire, England, filming what appears to be a wedding scene, according to People. Ryder, who will reprise her role as Lydia Deetz from the original motion picture, was dressed in her character’s signature black, and she even sported Lydia’s iconic hairstyle with spiky bangs. Meanwhile, Ortega, who will star as Lydia’s daughter, was seen wearing a white tulle wedding dress and chunky boots on set, hinting at an upcoming wedding. When Lydia got married in the first movie, she wore a red ruffled gown, which is a change from her daughter’s bridal whites.

In May 2023, Warner Bros. announced that Beetlejuice 2 would come to theaters 36 years after the original film. In addition to Ryder returning to reprise her role, Michael Keaton, who played Beetlejuice, is also expected to star in the film once again. Catherine O’Hara will likewise make a reappearance as Lydia’s stepmother, Delia Deetz. According to People, Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis may not return to the beloved franchise, which centers around a ghost who helps a deceased couple drive a family out of their house. However, the cast will welcome many newcomers. In addition to Ortega, Monica Bellucci is set to play Beetlejuice’s wife, and Willem Dafoe will also join the cast as a law enforcement officer in the afterlife, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Justin Theroux will be another new addition, although his role has yet to be revealed.

The new movie will reportedly feature a script written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who worked with Beetlejuice director Tim Burton on Wednesday, a Netflix series based on the character Wednesday Addams (from the movie Addams Family) starring Ortega. For over a decade, rumors have been circulating that a sequel to Beetlejuice is in the works. In 2011, Deadline reported that producers David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith had signed with Warner Bros. to create a sequel. Throughout the decade, Burton, Keaton, and Ryder all expressed interest in making a follow-up. In 2017, Keaton said if they ever decide to launch a second Beetlejuice, it needs to be outstanding to make an impact. “I just think it's like a little piece of art that you better get right if you ever do it again," he said. "Otherwise, you just kind of don't touch it.

Earlier this month, Keaton shared his excitement to revisit his mischievous character once again, especially because the writers and producers aren’t deviating too drastically from the first film, which was his initial concern six years ago. “Beetlejuice is the most f***in’ fun you can have working,” he gushed. “It’s so fun. It’s so great. And you know what it is? We’re doing it exactly like we did the first movie. [Tim] and I were talking about it years and years ago, never telling anybody. We’ve both said we’re doing it many times. We both agreed, if it happens, it has to be done as close to the way we made it the first time. Making stuff up, making stuff happen, improvising and riffing, but literally handmade stuff like people creating things with their hands and building something."

In November 2022, viewers saw another beloved character on set in a wedding dress. At the time, Sarah Jessica Parker was filming season two of And Just Like That, the Sex and the City reboot, and she was photographed wearing her iconic Vivienne Westwood wedding dress. Carrie first wore the gown during the 2008 Sex and the City movie for her wedding to Mr. Big (played by Chris Noth) before he stood her up at the altar. Seeing Parker revisit the outfit made fans question whether she would be getting married again. On June 22, 2023, season two of the reboot began streaming, so we learned that instead of hosting another wedding, Carrie actually revamped her wedding dress for the Met Gala after her seamstresses weren’t able to pull off the tailoring in time.