That Ghost with the Most is up to something…. We’re not sure what, but it’s something. When you think about it, Beetlejuice is the equivalent of Deadpool, but for Tim Burton’s universe, and for good reason. He’s unpredictable, messed-up, odd, raunchy, gross, funny — and damn it something about this Beetlejuice 2 trailer reeks of hidden spoilers! We just can’t put our finger on it….
For Starters, Where Are Barbara and Adam Maitland?
Weren’t they entirely central to the upbringing of Lydia Deetz? That seemed pretty clear from the end of the original film. I mean, we were all “jumping in the line” for it with those dead football players on the staircase, so it was obvious the film ended on a lovely high-pitched note.
Yet the Beetlejuice 2 trailer says otherwise.
We see nothing of the Maitlands anywhere. Nowhere. They’re not even mentioned. Pretty spooky if you ask me. And here’s the thing: we’re not even entirely sure what’s going on with this trailer, what the story entails, and where it’s going to lead us. All we know is Astrid, Lydia’s only daughter, stumbles upon the Maitlands’ same model town to find a similar ‘ad’ with the name “Betelgeuse” written on it. And the rest is history.
But not having the Maitlands at all doesn’t sit well with me. And to make it worse, Geena Davis (who played Barbara) strangely went on record to confirm that her character, including Alec Baldwin’s “Adam,” won’t be returning for this sequel extravaganza. And what’s the reason? Because they’re old!
And ghosts don’t age. Damn it. It just doesn’t happen!
Au Contraire, Geena, as You’re Forgetting One Important Piece of Technology in Film Today
And I can’t imagine Tim Burton not using it: CGI overlays!
Plus correct me if I’m wrong…. Michael Keaton’s pulling off the sequel just fine, and he’s basically already undead at 72? Sure, the makeup he had to wear for his infamous bio-exorcist demon masks any age lines quite well; and judging from the recent Beetlejuice sequel trailer, you really don’t see the actor much.
All you see is a pin-striped crazy-haired pervert. That’s all we expect to see when we see Beetlejuice 2!
But, come on, people. Be real. With CGI overlays, we can easily de-age Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis for a quick cameo, and it’s a must for the story to have any relevancy. We saw Marvel do it with Hank Pym in Endgame. We saw Spielberg do it with Indiana Jones in the recent Dial of Destiny film.
So I’m calling a red herring here. We’re willing to bet Geena’s keeping this close to the chest for good reason, and here’s a couple other reasons why:
It’s a Blink-and-You’ll-Miss Moment, But You’ll See Danny Devito in the Trailer, Too
It’s confirmed as well, and not some ghost sighting (although Devito does play a ghost janitor, not unlike the one the Maitlands briefly ran into in the first film).
This shouldn’t be any surprise: Devito’s true alumni of Tim Burton fare. He was Penguin in Batman Returns, for crying out loud. He was also in the more recent Dumbo adaptation. And, again, you’ll find Devito in the less well-known film Big Fish.
This is pretty common of Tim Burton films. These actors know what the director wants. And they deliver. So, naturally, the director wants them back on for future projects. So would it be that hard to see that maybe we might get the Maitlands as a surprise in this Beetlejuice sequel? Yes. And here’s another reason why:
Beetlejuice 2 Has an Interesting Official Title: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
That’s right, the title’s just the name spelled out twice. Cumbersome for many marquees to have to get all the letters collected — that’s eight freakin’ E’s, man! Jesus.
But pay close attention to what that’s signifying: what was the gimmick we ended up familiar with regarding Beetlejuice? You say his name three times. Everyone knows that: once you do, all Hell breaks loose. But here’s the thing:
The title of the sequel spells the name out twice. So ask yourself this important question: could this mean Burton’s setting this up as a trilogy? And we can expect a third film on the way? (Entitled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: take that, marquee ushers!)
Makes you wonder: if, indeed, the Maitlands won’t necessarily be in this Beetlejuice sequel, what might stop them from being in the third film? Nothing, really. And as far as story goes, it’s fitting. The original film began with the Maitlands; the third most likely can end quite well with them. You know?
More Importantly, There’s Yet Another Tim Burton Actor Who’s Arguably More Well-Known….
And also, this actor’s mysteriously absent from even being a part of this project: the name of that actor is none other than Johnny Depp.
At one time, his name was attached to the project, but seemingly as a rumor. It would make for a colorful casting of possibilities, one we would imagine Depp would fit right in, perhaps, with the likes of Willem Dafoe (or perhaps even cast in that role, sorry, Willem, we love you). Alas, though, that wasn’t the case; nor did we even get a glimpse of a character that even remotely resembled Depp.
Perhaps, though…. We may see Depp in the possible third outing? Oh, dear…. It will be, as Beetlejuice would say — showtime.
This Beetlejuice 2 Stuff, of Course, Is All Speculation….
But what do you guys think? How can Beetlejuice 2 write off the Maitlands? Are we looking at a ghostly trojan horse of sweet cameos to really propel Burton into a world of cinematic universe status? We shall see. All we know is this would be Burton’s first time working on an actual trilogy.
And we welcome it. We’re even willing to sit in the Neitherworld Waiting Room, biting our fingernails for the number “9,998,383, 750,000” to be called.
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