In a recent interview with Variety, Willem Dafoe spilled the ectoplasmic beans on his role in Tim Burton’s highly anticipated Beetlejuice 2. The Oscar nominee confirmed that he’s donning the spectral badge as an afterlife police officer, a character who, in his previous human existence, was a B-list movie action star.
With an air of mystery, Dafoe shared, “I haven’t seen any footage yet, but it was fun to do. I play a police officer in the afterlife, so I’m a dead person. In life, I was a B-movie action star, but I had an accident, and that’s what sent me to the other side. However, thanks to my skills, I became a detective character in the afterlife. So that’s my job. But it’s colored by the fact of who I was when I was alive—a B-movie action star.”
As the ghostly curtain rises on Beetlejuice 2, the production was almost a wrap, sitting pretty at “99% done” before the SAG-AFTRA strike caused a chilling delay. Now, with Hollywood back in action post-strike, the horror comedy sequel is set to resume filming, aiming for a hauntingly exciting theatrical release on September 6, 2024.
Returning to the directorial helm is the maestro of the macabre, Tim Burton, making a feature directorial comeback four years after orchestrating Disney’s live-action Dumbo. Reuniting with Burton after their collaboration on Netflix’s Wednesday series, Scream VI star Jenna Ortega is set to spook audiences once again. Joining her are familiar faces Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara, ensuring a nostalgic trip down the haunted memory lane. The sequel is also bringing new faces to the underworld, with Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and the spectral sleuth himself, Willem Dafoe.
The original Beetlejuice, featuring a stellar cast including Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Alec Baldwin, and Geena Davis, became a cult classic. The film revolved around a deceased couple employing the services of the obnoxious poltergeist Beetlejuice to scare off the new inhabitants of their former home, earning critical acclaim and a box office gross exceeding $73 million since its otherworldly debut.