The kids never learn in new Beetlejuice Beetlejuice trailer
Astrid! Buddy! All you had to do was not say the name three times. You had one job!
In our universe, it’s almost impossible to imagine a world in which anyone doesn’t know the cardinal rule surrounding dead guys with weird names—much less the daughter of Lydia Deetz herself. Of course, the fictional town of Winter River exists in a universe where Beetlejuice the movie doesn’t exist, leading that very same daughter to say the cursed name three times and summon cinema’s #1 bio-exorcist exactly as we knew she would. Thus, Betelgeuse—and Beetlejuice, the now-franchise—are reborn.
It has to be said; Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) looks pretty damn good for a guy who’s been re-dead for over thirty years, many of which have been filled with technological advancements that could have revived him almost entirely through CGI. Thankfully, director Tim Burton elected to once again conjure his vision of the afterlife primarily through practical effects, and the effort really does show. At one point, our favorite poltergeist terrorizes a squealing Justin Theroux with some half-seen hellspawn, asking, “Is this a figment of your imagination?” It’s hard not to see the question as a simultaneous nod to how real (well, how very Tim Burton) everything looks.
We still don’t know much about the plot apart from its basic setup. Winona Ryder reprises her role as Lydia, now with a rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), of her own. When they return to the site of Lydia’s almost-marriage after a death in the family (with Catherine O’Hara, also back as the eccentric Delia, in tow), Astrid finds a portal to the afterlife in the basement of the old Maitland house and brings back dear old Geusey to wreak havoc anew.
At first glance, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice looks to be striking the right balance of newness and nostalgia. The sandworms are back, which is especially fun after watching their spice-hungry cousins in Dune: Part Two earlier this year, as well as the shrunken-head guy and, of course, Lydia’s crazy hairdo. But the sequel also welcomes some impressive newcomers in Ortega and Theroux, as well as Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe, who’s been blessed with some of the most fun facial prosthetics we’ve seen since, well, his facial prosthetics in Poor Things.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opens in theaters September 6. Just make sure you don’t say it three times.