(L to R) Justin Theroux and Monica Bellucci star in ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’.
Opening in theaters on September 6th is the long-awaited sequel to 1988’s ‘Beetlejuice’, entitled ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’.
Once again directed by visionary filmmaker Tim Burton (‘Batman’ and ‘Edward Scissorhands’) and starring Oscar-nominee Michael Keaton (‘Spotlight’), Winona Ryder (‘Stranger Things’) and Catherine O’Hara (‘Home Alone’), as well as new cast members Jenna Ortega (‘Wednesday’), Justin Theroux (‘Miami Vice’), Monica Bellucci (‘Mafia Mamma’), and Oscar-nominee Willem Dafoe (‘Poor Things’).
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person in New York with Monica Bellucci and Justin Theroux to talk about their work on ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’, their first reaction to the screenplay, their new characters, working with Michael Keaton in his signature role, collaborating on the set with Tim Burton, and why they are excited for fans to finally see the film.
Related Article: ‘Beetlejuice 2’ was “99% done” Before the Strikes Shut Down Filming, Says Director Tim Burton
(L to R) Justin Theroux as Rory and Winona Ryder as Lydia in Warner Bros. Pictures’ comedy, ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Moviefone: To begin with, Justin, what was your first reaction when you read the script?
Justin Theroux: I was blown away. You’re always sort of nervous when there’s such a beloved movie, and then you’re hearing that there’s a beloved sequel hopefully being made, or hopefully beloved. I had some conversations with Tim. He sent me the script. I read it, and I was like, “Oh, this is perfect. This is going to be good,” knowing what he’s done in the past.
MF: What can you tell us about your character and his role in the story?
JT: He is obviously the love interest to Lydia. He’s sort of a competing rival for affections with Beetlejuice, I guess. It’s sort of a love triangle. He’s just a shallow narcissist who has, I think, kind of hoodwinked Lydia initially into thinking that he’s a great guy, and he is not.
Monica Bellucci as Delores in Warner Bros. Pictures’ comedy, ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
MF: Monica, what can you say about your character and the role she plays in the movie?
Monica Bellucci: Dolores is a creature. She’s a soul sucking demon in the afterlife. While Beetlejuice hunts everybody, she hunts him and she’s the bride of Beetlejuice. They had a short and intense love story that ended very badly in death. When she wakes up in the afterlife full of rage and desperation and obsessed with vengeance, she puts herself together. We’ll see how in a scene that is almost like a horror dancing scene. It took two or three days to film this moment, and I had to learn an entire choreography. I felt a bit like a mime because this role is very much about body language. So, I played like a broken doll, and it was so much fun, I have to say.
MF: What is it like being on a Tim Burton set and watching him execute his unique vision for this project?
MB: I mean, everything was already in his mind because he came to me and he said, “I have a key role in this film for which I thought about you.” So, I was very happy to accept it and to play it. Tim is so precise. He knows what he wants, and his creative energy is really inspiring for everybody. He loves to draw, so there are always drawings of situations and characters, and this is very helpful. Also, to go on these beautiful sets and to wear those amazing costumes by Colleen Atwood. Also, I had three hours of makeup every day, but I did this with pleasure and with passion. When I saw the movie, I was so shocked because, even though I knew everything, I knew the script, but the impact was so incredible because the film is unpredictable and so shocking and funny and full of emotion as well.
Director Tim Burton on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures’ comedy, ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
MF: Justin, what was your experience like working with Tim Burton?
JT: It’s a thrill when you have someone that’s as creative as him. He’s a genius, which is thrown around a lot for people and undeservedly. He genuinely is a genius. When you watch the way in which he, like a good conductor, just orchestrates all the instruments that are going into making a scene, and then obviously the film at large, it’s just so impressive. It’s sort of the shortest distance between the artist and the product, and I hate that word product, but the result. It’s whatever is on film is the shortest distance between his brain and the film, I guess is how I would say it.
MF: Monica, what are you most excited for fans to see in this new sequel?
MB: Oh, we can say that this new ‘Beetlejuice’, maybe it goes farther in visuals and maybe it’s a bit scarier.
Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice in Warner Bros. Pictures’ comedy, ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
MF: Justin, do you have a favorite moment in the movie that you are excited for fans to see?
JT: The movie. I mean, the movie itself I think is a home run. I think it’s a wonderfully executed film. Also, the filmmaking. I know that that sounds maybe obvious, but I think the filmmaking is so good. There are these big swings that Tim took that you do not find in many big studio movies that show a real level of artistry that’s on another tier. But I’m excited for people to see the ending. I think it’s such a poignant and touching ending, which you could take in so many ways and goes in so many different directions and is just so touching. The fourth wall gets broken a little bit where you go, “Is this Tim telling us something? Or is this his take on life? What is he saying?” I’ve only seen the film once, and I look forward to seeing it again so I can break that scene apart again in my head.
MF: Finally, Justin, what was it like working with Michael Keaton in his signature role as Beetlejuice and did you feel any pressure working with members of the original cast?
JT: I adored that (original) movie. I’ve known Winona for a bit, and I’m an enormous fan of Catherine O’Hara and Willem (Dafoe) and all the rest. I think Michael was the one that I was most intimidated to work with because he has some of the heaviest lifting to do just as far as energy and speed. So, it’s a fine line between playing in a scene with him and just wanting to get out of the way. So, my instinct a lot of times was like, “Just get out of the way. Let him do his thing.” But then you also must participate in it as well. It was great though. He was such a joy to work with.
“The ghost with the most is back.”
After a family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when… Read the Plot
What is the plot of ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’?
36 years after the events of ‘Beetlejuice’, the Deetz family returns home to Winter River after Charles Deetz’s unexpected death. Lydia’s (Winona Ryder) life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened, releasing Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton).
Who is in the cast of ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’?
- Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse
- Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz
- Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz
- Jenna Ortega as Astrid Deetz
- Justin Theroux as Rory
- Monica Bellucci as Delores
- Willem Dafoe as Wolf Jackson
(L to R) Director Tim Burton and Michael Keaton on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures’ comedy, ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Interview Conducted by Krisily Fernstrom