Seth Grahame-Smith and frequent collaborator David Katzenberg, who are writing the sequel to Beetlejuice, said in October that they would not go forward on the project unless they receive the blessing of Beetlejuice star Michael Keaton and Tim Burton, who directed the 1988 original. Luckily Grahame-Smith had an inside track on the endorsement — Burton is producing the adaptation of Grahame-Smith’s Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (which Grahame-Smith adapted himself). But Burton made it official when talking to MTV News: he’s fully supportive of a sequel to his comedy classic.
Burton tells MTV, “I love that character, and Michael [Keaton] is so great in it. I always think about how great and fun that character was, so I just said to Seth, ‘If you have some idea about it, go for it, and then I’ll look at it freshly.’ In the past, I tried some things, but that was way back when. He seemed really excited about it.”
When the interviewer asks if Grahame-Smith has run any ideas by him, Burton responds, “No. I told him to try some stuff, but he hasn’t come back to me yet. Michael was so great in it. I’m sure he’d strangely tap right back into it.”
I was initially down on the prospects of a Beetlejuice sequel, but Burton seems enthusiastic about it and hints at Keaton’s involvement. Frankly, in his quarter-century career, Burton has only directed one bad film (the 2001 Planet of the Apes remake… although he also produced Cabin Boy), so I trust in his taste.
There’s no word on when we’d actually see a Beetlejuice sequel, but I’m sure Michael Keaton will be available. He’s as picky as they come.
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