Despite the development ofBeetlejuice 3having already started, Tim Burton had a shocking response to the news about the film’s production status. Tim Burton is the mastermind behind theBeetlejuicefranchise, with him returning to direct 2024’sBeetlejuice Beetlejuice. However,the status ofBeetlejuice 3seems to be a mystery to the director based on his recent comments.
Speaking withThe Hollywood Reporter, Tim Burton responded to the news that producerMike De Luca had announced thatBeetlejuice 3was in developmentby saying, “Really? Nobody told me.” Burton then followed it up by stating that “Maybe I’ve been replaced,” acknowledging this possibility since Warner Bros. owns theBeetlejuicefranchise, not Burton.
Burton went on to say that “I really, really enjoyed making this one, and [Warner Bros.] didn’t even really want to do it.” However,he seems less certain about a third film, stating, “it’s like trying to re-create the Wednesday dance scene. I love the characters, but I don’t necessarily see it.” Burton feels “very proprietary about everything I do,” with him even saying “When they did the [Beetlejuice Broadway musical], I got pissed.” Here is the full excerpt:
In April, Mike De Lucasaiddevelopment onBeetlejuice 3is starting “imminently.”
BURTONReally? Nobody told me. Maybe I’ve been replaced.
ORTEGAMaybe I’ve been, too. Maybe [her character] Astrid dies and goes to heaven instead [of the films’ Netherworld]. They should just take Baby Beetlejuice on tour and send him to Hawaii.
BURTONIt took 35 years to make the second one, so by that time I’ll be 105. I know those odds are not good. I really, really enjoyed making this one, and [Warner Bros.] didn’t even really want to do it. We did it the same way I did the first one, with the actors doing improv. It was beautiful to see some of the old cast and have Jenna. But it’s like trying to re-create theWednesdaydance scene. I love the characters, but I don’t necessarily see it.
BURTONNo. I feel very proprietary about everything I do, even if I don’t own the characters. When they did the [BeetlejuiceBroadway musical], I got pissed.
And Jenna, if they said, “We wantBeetlejuice 3, but Tim is not directing it …“
ORTEGAOh, I would never. I also think anybody would be really wrong to get behind that project. Without him involved, what is it? It is what it is because of Tim. There’s no other film you can compareBeetlejuiceto. So why would you do that? That would be a tad disrespectful.
What Tim Burton’s Comments Mean For Beetlejuice 3
Will The Sequel Happen Without Him?
Based on what Tim Burton is saying, it seems that he is not involved in the development ofBeetlejuice 3. Considering thatWarner Bros. waited for him to return before doingBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, it would be shocking for him to be excluded from a third film. The only possibility would be if he didn’t want to do a third film, but his comments here make it seem as if he wasn’t even aware that one was in the works.
Interestingly, Jenna Ortega’s comments imply that she wouldn’t return without Burton, saying “I would never.” This is an interesting statement, as it would be hard to write her out ofaBeetlejuice Beetlejuicesequel. Jenna Ortega was one of the biggest additions to the second film, and a thirdBeetlejuicecan’t be done without her.
Our Take On Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice 3 Comments
Beetlejuice Doesn’t Work Without Burton
Doing a thirdBeetlejuicewithout Tim Burton is a horrible idea, and the fact that he isn’t in the loop about the third film is a bad sign forBeetlejuice 3. Tim Burton’s signature style is what makesBeetlejuicegreat, and without his sense of direction, production design, and comedy, there isn’t much of a point in returning to the franchise again.
However, thanks tothe box office success ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, Warner Bros. has an incentive to makeBeetlejuice 3, with or without Burton. Burton doesn’t seem too hot on the idea of aBeetlejuice 3, possibly explaining why Warner Bros. would do the sequel without him.
