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Michael Keaton hasn’t lost a step in the gleefully insane 1st trailer for Warner Bros’ long-awaited sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Decades after trickster demon Betelgeuse terrorized her family, a now grownup Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) believes she can finally settle into normal life.
But when her rebellious daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) finds an ominous path to the afterlife in the attic of ol’ Winter River mansion, she opens the door for Betelgeuse (Keaton) to return. And this time, he’s got a whole new world to plunge into chaos.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) – source: Warner Bros. Pictures
Honestly, I was skeptical that the Beetlejuice franchise’s flavor of insanity would still resonate in a post-TikTok world. The bar for kinetic humor and depravity has been raised so much since the original film’s release. Did the 1st trailer prove that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice can still hang?
… kinda. Despite the faithfulness to original director Tim Burton’s style, this trailer lacks the fast pace and randomness needed to sell the Betelgeuse character to the internet generation. Despite its best efforts, the trailer feels almost sluggish, and visually blends into other recent goth-chic franchise revivals (Wednesday, Haunted Mansion, etc.).
However, the cast hasn’t lost a step. Despite being in his 70s, Michael Keaton is clearly still having a ball playing Betelgeuse. And if nothing else, watching him ham it up for 2 hours is enough to earn my money on opening night. Overall, I’m cautiously optimistic to see this long-dead ghost come back to life on the big screen.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is directed by Tim Burton and will released theatrically in the U.S on September 6th, 2024, starring Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega, & Winona Ryder.
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