Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to be let loose at Venice Film Festival
Tim Burton's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, starring Michael Keaton, will have its world premiere in Venice
Hey, who says those fancy ol’ film festivals can’t have a bit of fun, huh? Amid the very particular glamor of the Venice Film Festival—all those beautiful movie stars arriving via boat!—the Juice is going to be let loose. Yes, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is set to premiere out of competition at the prestigious festival on opening night, August 28, at the Lido’s Palazzo del Cinema ahead of its September 6 release date. Burton has a history with the festival, having previously shown The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride there, in addition to winning a Career Achievement Golden Lion in 2007.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice marks the long-awaited return of one of the most iconic characters of Tim Burton’s cinema, but also the happy confirmation of the extraordinary visionary talent and the masterly realization of one of the most fascinating auteurs of his time,” Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera said in a statement. “The Venice Biennale is honored and proud to host the world premiere of a work that features a surprising swing of creative imagination and driving hallucinatory rhythm.”
The director himself said simply, “I’m very excited by this. It means a lot to me to have the world premiere of this film at the Venice Film Festival.”
The sequel to Burton’s 1988 film features returning stars Michael Keaton, Winona Rider, and Catherine O’Hara, as well as newcomers Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, and Arthur Conti. Burton and his collaborators have really been hyping the movie up; Ortega said she’s never seen Burton happier than directing this movie, and Burton said Keaton settled right back into the role of Betelgeuse like a man possessed. Keaton, meanwhile, says he’s seen the whole movie and it’s absolutely fantastic, so apparently the Venice audience really has something to look forward to!