AS unexpectedly as it was announced, Beetlejuice 2’s production was also halted indefinitely when the SAG-AFTRA strike unexpectedly began.
In a recent interview with The Independent, director Tim Burton revealed that there was only a day and a half left of filming when the production brakes were pressed.
“I feel grateful we got what we got. We know what we have to do. It is 99% done,” he said.
Burton also revealed his elation with working on Beetlejuice 2, claiming that it was rare to work on a big Hollywood tentpole film and actually like doing it.
“I tried to strip everything and go back to the basics of working with good people, actors and puppets. It was kind of like going back to why I liked making movies”.
The film is a sequel to Burton and Michael Keaton’s 1998 cult classic, with Keaton returning in the sequel in the title role.
He will star alongside returning cast members Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara, and new faces in the franchise include Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci and Justin Theroux.
Keaton previously told Empire that Burton was prioritising practical effects on the Beetlejuice 2 set.
“Beetlejuice is the most fun you can have working,” Keaton said.
“It’s so fun, it’s so great. We’re doing it exactly like we did the first movie. There’s a woman in the great waiting room for the afterlife literally with a fishing line – I want people to know this because I love it – tugging on the tail of a cat to make it move.”
“It’s the most fun I’ve had working on a movie in a long time.”
The film will mark Burton’s return to feature filmmaking after a four year absence following the release of Dumbo in 2019.
Beetlejuice 2 is slated for a Sept 6 release next year.
