Justin Theroux Says ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Didn’t Use ‘Studio Notes’: It’s a Fully ‘Unhinged’ Sequel
Justin Theroux is crediting Tim Burton for, well, continuing his Tim Burton auteurism without letting studios interfere.
Theroux, who stars in long-awaited sequel film “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” told Total Film that the feature was “not made by taking polls from audiences and studio notes.” Simply put, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” was not made by committee.
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“This movie takes some very big swings,” Theroux said, while comparing the viewing experience to watching Willy Wonka’s psychedelic boat ride in 1971’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” (To note, Burton also gave his own twist on “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” with Johnny Depp cast as Willy Wonka.)
“There’s the phantasmagoria and it feels slightly out of control and unhinged. It has that vibe to it,” Theroux continued of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which will open the Venice Film Festival. “It’s clear this movie was not made by taking polls from audiences, and studio notes, and executives going, ‘Well, what’s the most satisfying act three?’ This is 100 percent like someone opening the front of Tim Burton’s head, and letting it dump out onto the screen. It’s a fabulous ride for exactly that reason.”
Theroux’s co-star Michael Keaton, who plays the titular ghoul, said the sequel has “a stronger story” than the original 1988 horror-comedy classic.
“There’s things in here that I wasn’t ready for, that are beyond delightful,” Keaton said. “There’s more of a connection for the audience in terms of the other characters. […] Instead of saying, ‘I can’t wait until this thing shows up,’ or, ‘I just want this thing called Beetlejuice to go nuts.'”
Winona Ryder, who recently spilled that she was meeting with Burton for decades to get the sequel greenlit, promised that the film will “exceed” what fans are hoping it will be.
“I feel very confident that it will match and exceed expectations. It certainly did mine, and mine are way up there,” Ryder said. “I literally think every generation can find something in it that they’ll really appreciate.”
Ryder also told Vanity Fair that filming “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” alongside franchise newcomer Jenna Ortega was “kind of a religious experience.”
“Once we started talking, and I remember it was on our third day together, the day we shot the scene in the attic, we never stopped,” Ryder said of working with Ortega, who plays her onscreen daughter. “It almost felt holy, like some sort of blessing from above, which, I think, is because we share the belief that film can be a kind of a religious experience.”
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