Warning: Spoilers ahead for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice!
While Beetlejuice 2 takes Tim Burton’s supernatural tale in a few new directions, the sequel has a lot of fun with its various Easter eggs and references. With the Beetlejuice sequel arriving 36 years later, the movie had the tough task of catering to original fans seeking nostalgia as well as the new generation of fans. Adding Jenna Ortega to Beetlejuice 2‘s cast was undoubtedly a great way to embrace the new era, considering the actress is one of Hollywood’s most popular rising stars, but any real success heavily relied on staying true to the original.
A lot has changed since the first Beetlejuice debuted in 1988, and the same can be said for in-universe changes with the Deetz family. Returning figures like Lydia, Delia, and even Beetlejuice are still the beloved characters that helped shape Burton’s movie into a classic, but they are also at very different points in their respective lives from when we last saw them. That said, with various Easter eggs and clever connections to the original movie, Beetlejuice 2 succeeds in serving as an exciting legacy sequel that mixes nostalgia and modern pop culture references.
25 The Town Model In The Opening Credits
Winter River Was Back On Display
When the original Beetlejuice began, the opening credits displayed an overhead view of Winter River before switching to Adam’s model of the small town.Beetlejuice 2 opens similarly, presenting a look at the town before flipping to the miniature recreation in model form. The shot ends on the house on the hill, but familiar figures can be seen just before the home comes into focus (more on that later).
Mirroring the original movie, Beetlejuice 2 uses the same text for the opening credits sequence. The title card is also inspired by the 1988 version, but it’s understandably updated a bit to celebrate the arrival of the modern sequel.
24 Lydia’s Ghost House Show
Lydia Took A Surprising Career Path
Beetlejuice 2 officially with Lydia on the set of her talk show, Ghost House, where she uses her powers to communicate with the dead and help the living with various hauntings. When a short clip of her investigation is shown, it’s clear Ghost House is meant to poke fun at paranormal investigation shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures.
Warner Bros. wanted
House Ghosts
to be the title of the original 1988 movie.
However, the talk show aspect allows Lydia to film in front of a live audience, giving the program a more personal aspect. Based on Rory’s motivations for exploitation, he likely made most of the decisions surrounding Ghost House. Whether or not Rory believes in Lydia’s powers, he primarily focuses on exploiting her supernatural gifts for his own gain.
23 The Schitt’s Creek Nod In Delia’s Art Studio
A Return Of The Crowening
Upon hearing about Charles’ death in Beetlejuice 2, Lydia heads to Delia’s posh New York City art studio. The location is full of various art installations, including giant video screens of Delia. One of the screens features Delia wearing a white long-sleeve shirt with her arms out as black birds fly around her. The image might remind Schitt’s Creek fans of The Crows Have Eyes 3: The Crowening, Moira’s movie filmed in Bosnia during season 5.
Moira notably played a doctor in the movie that involved mutant crows, with hopes the release would revive her acting career. The character gets a surge in popularity as an actress when her movie premieres in Schitt’s Creek season 6 alongside a red carpet that goes viral. Funny enough, fame and notoriety for her work are always on Delia’s mind in the Beetlejuice franchise.
22 Tim Burton’s Stop-Motion Recreation Of Charles’ Death
Burton Has A Lot Of Experience With Stop-Motion
Tim Burton is no stranger to stop-motion after his work on Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie, and The Nightmare Before Christmas (which he wrote and produced). In a pleasant surprise, Beetlejuice 2 features a stop-motion sequence to detail the events of how Charles Deetz died. The recreation depicts Charles’ plane to South America crashing into the ocean, where he’s attacked and killed by a shark before getting to safety.
The stop-motion sequence is short, but it’s a nice touch for a filmmaker already celebrated for his use of practical effects. Though fans were expecting some Burton trademarks in the long-awaited Beetlejuice sequel, the use of stop-motion is a fun element in the movie.
21 Charles’ Love Of Bird-Watching
Charles Died From His Hobby
Tim Burton’s 1988 movie made it abundantly clear that Charles was a big bird-watcher. He even had a multitude of stuffed dead birds and bird paintings displayed throughout his study, which he wouldn’t let Delia redesign. Ironically, bird-watching is what ends up killing Charles in Beetlejuice 2 since he was on a bird-watching trip when his plane went down in the South Pacific.
Delia makes sure to blame Charles’ love of birds on his death since a shark wouldn’t have eaten him had he not gone on a trip to bird-watch. Not only are the birds still in Charles’ office when Lydia and Rory are in there later, but “bird watcher” is included on Charles’ gravestone.
20 Danny DeVito’s Cameo
Beetlejuice 2 Reunites DeVito & Burton
Beetlejuice 2 reunites Danny DeVito with Tim Burton and Michael Keaton after working on 2019’s Dumbo. Before that, the trio notably worked together on Batman Returns, where DeVito played Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin. DeVito has a cameo as a Neitherworld janitor in Beetlejuice 2 and is the first person to encounter Delores’ soul-sucking powers before succumbing to her wrath.
Interestingly, DeVito’s Beetlejuice 2 character drinks from a bottle of floor varnish in the janitor’s closet, hinting that he died by suicide doing the same thing. As the liquid spills out of his mouth, it’s very similar to The Penguin’s death sequence, with dark liquid coming out of his mouth.
19 Delia’s Iconic Sculptures
There’s More Than One
Delia was known for her eccentric art from the first movie, including her very odd sculpture designs that she proudly displayed in the Winter River home. The sculpture that almost killed her in the original film makes a comeback in the sequel. While picking up Astrid at her boarding school, one of Delia’s spiked sculptures can be seen on the campus grounds outside the Deetz art building.
The prop statue of Delia’s sculpture outside of the Winter River home was stolen from
Beetlejuice 2
‘s set in East Corinth, Vermont, while the movie was filming.
While it’s possible the Deetz family donated the original version of the sculpture design as part of their funding effort for the school, the same sculpture can be seen outside the home of the Winter River house. It seems like Delia kept a lot of her art back at Winter River to focus on new designs at the Soho gallery.
18 “Day-O” Song At Charles’ Funeral
The Harry Belafonte Song Is A Big Element Of The Original Movie
The Deetz family has Charles’ funeral in Winter River, a detail first confirmed in Beetlejuice 2‘s initial teaser trailer. Like the trailer footage, an iteration of Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O” plays during Charles’ funeral, with a children’s choir performing the song in the cemetery as part of Beetlejuice 2′s soundtrack.
The headstone for Charles is in the shape of a shark fin to poke fun at the way he was killed in the movie.
The “Day-O” song sequence from Beetlejuice was a beloved moment in the 1988 movie, so it makes sense why the sequel used it to say goodbye to that form of the character. Instead of the original upbeat version, the movie chose a much different tone.
17 Little Jane Makes An Appearance
There’s Also A Third Jane Butterfield
In the original movie, Jane Butterfield was Barbara’s family member trying to sell the Maitland house. She succeeded after Adam and Barbara died, but apparently, the interest in reality stayed with the family. Jane always had her daughter with her in the first movie, and Beetlejuice 2 confirms that Little Jane remained in Winter River and followed in her mother’s footsteps.
Little Jane has grown up with her own daughter (also named Jane) and has an interest in selling the Deetz home after Charles’ death. The returning character also fills Lydia in on some town lore, specifically the story surrounding Jeremy, ultimately proving that Astrid is in grave danger.
16 Maxie Dean Gets A Mention
Maxie & Sarah Dean’s Fate Was Always A Mystery
For years, it has been speculated that Beetlejuice killed Maxie and Sarah Dean when he sent them flying into the air with the carnival game in the first movie. However, Beetlejuice 2 may have finally revealed the fates of the Dean couple after Delia mentions Maxie’s name at Charles’ wake.
By asking if Maxie Dean has arrived, Beetlejuice 2 seemingly confirms that the couple survived the end of the original Beetlejuice. Oddly, Sarah isn’t mentioned, but the name drop implies Maxie is still around in 2024. The other scenario points to Delia wondering if Maxie would show up after Charles’ death to finally reveal if the man himself is still alive.
15 Miss Shannon’s Is Still Open
The School Is Still Operating After 36 Years
Following Rory’s inappropriately timed marriage proposal to Lydia, Astrid takes a bike and flees from the wake. The character rides throughout Winter River and passes a few notable locations, including Miss Shannon’s School for Girls, the same school Lydia attended after her family moved to town. Miss Shannon’s might be small, but the all-girls school is still open in Beetlejuice 2.
Despite early speculation, Astrid doesn’t attend Miss Shannon’s, seeing as she attends a private boarding school. That said, riding by the location is a nice nod to Lydia’s character, and it shows that not everything in Winter River has changed since the Deetz family lived there full-time.
14 Delores’ Revival Has Tim Burton Connections
Burton Was Inspired By His Previous Work
When Delores comes back to life in Beetlejuice 2, her body parts are kept in a bunch of wooden crates in the afterlife realm. She puts her body back together piece by piece, but when reattaching an arm, the shot focuses on Delores’ hand crawling across the floor in the same nature Thing is known for in the Addams Family franchise.
Wednesday
showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar also co-wrote
Beetlejuice 2
.
Tim Burton, of course, has a lot of experience with Thing after working on Netflix’s Wednesday with Jenna Ortega. The sentient body parts, in general, also reference Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Not only was Sally voiced by Beetlejuice‘s Catherine O’Hara, but the character also sewn body parts in a similar way to Delores’ stapled body.
13 Beetlejuice’s World’s Best Boss Mug
Beetlejuice Might Be A Fan Of The Office
There’s no question that Beetlejuice thinks highly of himself, but one detail on his desk in the afterlife proves how “the ghost with the most” truly feels about his status. Following the events of the first movie, Beetlejuice ends up working as the “Afterlife Call Center Manager” and oversees a team of men with shrunken heads. On Beetlejuice’s desk is a “World’s Best Boss” mug made famous by Michael Scott in The Office.
The prop sits next to a picture of Lydia when Beetlejuice first encountered her as a teen in the ’80s, proving he’s still pining for her after all these years. The mug can also be seen later in the movie when Bob (dressed as Beetlejuice) hides under the desk while Delores is searching for her ex-husband.
12 Delia Is Still Mad At Charles For The Winter River House
Delia Never Got Over The Relocation
When the Deetz family relocated to Winter River, Connecticut, from NYC in the first movie, Delia wasn’t too pleased. Charles kept reassuring his wife that the new home would grow on her, but that may have never been the case. While documenting her primal screams as art, Delia discusses processing grief with Lydia and Astrid. When Delia brings up unresolved anger, Astrid asks what Charles did to her, and Delia quickly replies that he bought the house in Winter River without telling her.
Considering Charles is buried in Winter River, Delia acknowledges how much the location meant to him.
The line proves that Winter River did not, in fact, grow on her. Funny enough, she must have convinced Charles to move back to the city at some point since she had a gallery in Soho, and even Lydia moved back to New York. Considering Charles is buried in Winter River, Delia acknowledges how much the location meant to him.
11 Adam’s Town Model Has New Additions
Adam Kept Up With His Favorite Hobby
Though Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis don’t appear in Beetlejuice 2, Adam’s model of Winter River is still present. The model comes into play several times throughout the sequel, but Beetlejuice 2 also makes an effort to tease additions made to the model by Adam since we last saw the characters in the first movie.
In addition to little figures of Adam and Barbara, the couple’s yellow car can be seen upside down in the river in reference to how the couple tragically died decades prior. Adam seemingly kept up with the hobby until he and Barbara found a loophole to leave the house.
10 Christian Slater Makes An Appearance
Winona Ryder Has A History With The Actor
After exploring the attic, Astrid finds a box of her dad’s belongings, including an old photo album. As the character flips through the old pictures, there’s one of a younger Lydia and Richard. The actual picture in Beetlejuice 2 is an altered image of Winona Ryder and Christian Slater from the late ’80s but with a young image of Santiago Cabrera as Richard placed over Slater’s head.
Slater doesn’t directly appear in the
Beetlejuice
sequel, but his part of his body does.
The image (via Tumblr) would have been taken after Beetlejuice released in 1988, when Ryder and Slater met while filming Heathers. The co-stars also stirred dating rumors around that time, especially when they attended events together. Slater doesn’t directly appear in the Beetlejuice sequel, but his part of his body does.
9 Kill, Baby, Kill Reference
It Makes Sense For Lydia To Love Horror Movies
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Lydia and Astrid have a complicated dynamic, but the pair have a few meaningful moments together before reconciling in the afterlife. One of those moments features Lydia sharing details of her pregnancy with Astrid while the two look at family pictures. The movie reveals that Lydia was at a Mario Bava film marathon and watching Kill, Baby, Kill with Richard when her water broke.
Considering Lydia’s macabre demeanor, with some of those characteristics being passed on to Astrid, having Lydia go into labor while watching a gothic horror movie is very on-brand for the character. It’s also nice to know that Richard had many of the same interests, with the detail that Kill, Baby, Kill was Richard’s favorite movie.
8 Astrid’s “Scream” Halloween Costume
Jenna Ortega Has Experience With A Different Scream
Seeing as Beetlejuice 2 is set around Halloween, the topic of costumes comes up a few times. Astrid dresses up as Marie Curie before hanging out with Jeremy on Halloween night, but she also reminisces about a time when Halloween was her favorite holiday. While sharing memories involving her dad, Astrid mentions that she once wore a costume inspired by Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” painting in second grade.
However, mentioning the costume also serves as a callback to Jenna Ortega’s role as Tara in the two most recent Scream movies. In addition to Wednesday, Ortega’s presence in the Scream franchise has helped push her career to new levels.
7 The Deetz Family Isn’t A Big Fan Of Disney
Burton Doesn’t Have A Great History With Disney
Keeping on the topic of Halloween, Lydia discusses costumes with Jane while Astrid is on her date with Jeremy. The discussion leans into Disney-inspired costumes before Lydia states that the closest Astrid ever came to a Disney costume was when she dressed as Cinderella’s dead mom. The reveal is hilariously grim, but it also serves as a diss to Disney following Tim Burton’s decision to leave the studio following issues with 2019’s Dumbo.
Though Burton has worked on several notable Disney movies, the relationship between the filmmaker and the studio didn’t end on good terms. A few years after Dumbo, Burton declared that he was done working for Disney, so the dig at Disney costumes was likely kept in for a reason.
6 The Neitherworld’s Soul Train
The Afterlife Likes To Dance
Beetlejuice 2 greatly expands the franchise’s afterlife realm, including an introduction of the Neitherworld’s Soul Train. After Jeremy tricks Astrid into swapping her place in the real world, Jenna Ortega’s character is taken to the Soul Train, a train that takes the dead to the “beyond.” The platform features members of the dead in a choreographed dance inspired by the musical variety show also titled Soul Train.
Running from 1971 to 2006, Soul Train highlighted performances from various types of music like soul, R&B, and hip-hop. Aside from the Soul Train dance sequence, the afterlife attendant implies that Astrid could still catch the train if she “hustles,” which is a nod to 1975’s “The Hustle” from Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony.
