After decades of fans hoping and praying for a sequel to the beloved ’80s horror comedy classicBeetlejuice, moviegoers were finally given the treat of a lifetime when Tim Burton brought back the iconic characters for the long-awaited 2024 follow-upBeetlejuice Beetlejuice. Touting a decorated ensemble cast led by the original film’sstars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara as well as newcomers Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, and Willem Dafoe, the buzzed-about sequel has completely bewitched the world upon its electrifying debut.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.
Viewers were curious to see how Burton would tackle a new installment, as it had been 36 years since the celebrated hit first premiered.The acclaimed filmmakerdelivered plenty of feel-good nostalgia, horror, and zany humor, brilliantly paying homage to the 1988 original and leaving delightful callbacks for fans to enjoy. Here are 15 Easter eggs you might have missed inBeetlejuice Beetlejuice.
15Miss Shannon’s School For Girls
In the original1988 beloved classic, Lydia attends Miss Shannon’s School for Girls after moving to Winter River, Connecticut, and it doesn’t take long until the goth, macabre-obsessed teenager becomes a bit of a social pariah because of heruniqueinterests and the fact that she moved into the town’s resident haunted house. In the first film, her fellow classmates are seen sporting a plaid uniform as Lydia takes off on her bike to head back home.
A Sweet Nod to Lydia’s Adolescence
36 years later, Lydia now has an angsty teenage daughter of her own named Astrid, and the girl has made it abundantly clear she does not care for the many choices her mother has made, including heraccepting a marriage proposalby her cringe-worthy boyfriend/television producer Rory. Astrid hops on a bike and flees the situation, riding through the quaint town and passing by Miss Shannon’s and other local hot spots, proving that even in the decades since the Deetz family arrived, the foundation of Winter River remains intact.
14An Aerial Shot of Winter River
The opening scene ofBeetlejuicememorably features a unique aerial view of Winter River as audiences are given a look at what the picturesque Connecticut town has to offer, and the imagery is intermingled with shots of Adam Maitland’s miniature model recreation of the community that he works on up in the attic. The horror comedy’s introduction also showcases the infamous red-covered bridge that the Maitlands tragically died on after going off the road, thus kicking off the film’s wild chain of events.
Burton Honors The Original Classic
Beetlejuice Beetlejuicebrilliantly captured the heart and soul of the original from the sequel’s very first moments, as the follow-up also begins with a look at the distinct town as well as Adam’s impressive model, with the aerial shot ultimately stopping on the iconic Deetz house on the hill. Not only does it mirror the ’80s hit’s distinct imagery, but it also features the same text for the opening credits and provides a slightly modernized title card, thus signaling new life for the fan-favorite flick.
13Call Betelgeuse! Flier
As was the case in the first installment, Betelgeuse was able to reach out to both the Maitlands and Lydia from beyond the grave with the help of a clever and not-so-subtle flier encouraging the recently-deceased couple and troubled teenager to say his name three times. Obviously, the strange andsleazy bio-exorcisthad his own selfish ulterior motives in “helping” both Adam and Barbara as well as Lydia, which would hilariously play out on screen.
Betelgeuse’s Direct Help Hotline
12Charles Died From His Beloved Hobby
One actor from the ’80s juggernaut who is noticeably absent from the sequel is none other than Deetz family patriarch Charles, who was portrayed by Jeffrey Jones and whose on-screen counterpart was a massive fan of bird-watching. While Jones did not reprise his role forBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, Charles is still a huge focal point of the flick as his loved ones gather back in Winter River for his funeral, with his death kickstarting the film’s events.
Charles' Wholesome Hobby Leads to His Demise
In the original, Charles' love and adoration for all things bird-related is front and center, as he spends most of his time checking his binoculars in search of the animal and has paintings and stuffed dead birds all throughout his office. His passion for birds is what ultimately led to his demise in the sequel, as he ended up going on a bird-watching trip that resulted in his plane crashing and him being viciously attacked andkilled by a shark.His wife Delia fiercely blamed Charles' bird obsession with causing his death, and not the shark that chomped him in half.
11The Return of “The Banana Boat Song”
Few songs have become as iconic and synonymous with a Hollywood film quite like Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song),” with the distinct Jamaican folk tune becoming a beloved and dazzling moment inBeetlejuiceand delivering a truly iconic sequence in the original. Fans couldn’t get enough of the Deetzes and their curious visitors bursting into song when the Maitlands took over their dinner party in an effort to terrify their unwanted houseguests, thus leading to the legendary musical number.
An Iconic Tune Returns
“Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” makes its epic return inBeetlejuice Beetlejuicewhen a children’s choir performs the show-stopping tune at Charles' funeral, with the moving rendition adopting a more somber and sorrowful tone in comparison to the upbeat version of the original. It was a no-brainer that the classic Belafonte song had to be featured in the sequel, as it holds a special place in the hearts of passionate fans and delivered a much-appreciated dose of nostalgia.
10Deetz Art Center Statue
Delia Deetz is known for her eccentric taste in art and downright peculiar approach to sculpting and creating designs, and she taps into her bizarre aesthetic when she proudly transforms her Winter River home with her quirky sculptures and odd decorating approach. InBeetlejuice, one of Delia’s kooky sculptures nearly kills her during renovations on their newly purchased home, with the art piece amusingly trapping her during the process.
Delia’s Offbeat Art Creations
For the sequel, Delia’s unconventional artwork and distinct sculptures once again take center stage, as one of them is shown at the private boarding school where Astrid goes, with the monstrosity sitting in the courtyard and featuring weird hands and spiky fingers. It’s likely that Delia donated the whimsical work of art to the school as a gift, as she has a Soho gallery where she keeps her most edgy and prized designs while some also remain at her house on the hill.
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9Lydia & Betelgeuse’s Wedding: Part 2
Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder had phenomenal chemistry when they first shared the screen in the 1988 knockout, as their entertaining banter and Betelgeuse’s conniving antics led him to try and marry the teenage girl as a way to escape the confinements of the afterlife. Of course, Lydia had the help of the kind and caring Maitlands to prevent the nuptials from occurring, and 36 years later Betelgeuse tried yet again to wed the goth character and get her down the aisle.
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Here Comes the Bride?
Betelgeuse’s frilly and dated purple tuxedo and Lydia’s unforgettable red wedding dress make their triumphant return in2024’sBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, as Lydia once again finds herself forced to marry the devious spirit after he helps rescue Astrid from the afterlife and the dangerous Jeremy. Betelgeuse plans to wed the legendary leading lady at the town chapel and they once again don the popular costumes, though their ceremony is interrupted by both his soul-sucking ex-wife and the determined ghost detective.
8Show-Stopping Lip Sync Number
Theiconic dinner scenefeatured inBeetlejuicesaw the Deetzes and their guests breaking out into a lively rendition of Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)”, with Delia, Charles, and Otho bursting out into song and lip-syncing along to the cheerful tune.
With the help of theHandbook for the Recently Deceased, Otho attempts to summon Adam and Barbara during the meal and holds a séance, though the couple attempts to flip the script and frighten the Deetzes and make them leave the house once and for all.
A Wonderfully Weird Grand Finale
Naturally, Tim Burton knew thatBeetlejuice Beetlejuicehad to have a show-stopping musical number of its own and instead of taking the easy way out and once again performing “Day-O”, the celebrated filmmaker had the characters lip sync along to Richard Harris' “MacArthur Park.”
Fittingly, the ’60s song talks of an ill-fated romance, which Harris compares to a cake left collapsing in the rain. Watching Lydia, Delia, Astrid, and Rory perform the offbeat number was a hoot, as was seeing Betelgeuse’s own soulful rendition of the single.
7A Nod to Ghost House
In the highly-anticipated sequel, Lydia has created and hosts a successful talk show entitledGhost House, for which she uses her wondrous spiritual capabilities to commune with the dead and investigate terrifying hauntings, interviewing desperate families in need of help. Seeing Lydia embrace her powers and star in the show (largely because of Rory’s greedy and exploitative intentions) was interesting character development, and the program clearly poked fun at paranormal shows likeGhost Hunters.
A Callback to the Studio’s Original Name Choice
Rory wants nothing more than to capitalize on Lydia’s psychic capabilities (whether he truly believes in her powers or not), and she has grown overwhelmed by visions of Betelgeuse and the prospect that he is trying to make a comeback from the grave.
Ghost Housealso is a cheeky reference to the original title Warner Bros. wanted the film to be named, as the studio feltHouse Ghostswas fitting for the project; Burton jokingly suggested the name “Scared Sheetless” instead, and was flabbergasted when Warner Bros. actually considered running with the title. Thankfully,Beetlejuiceended up being the winning title.
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6Danny DeVito’s Homage to Batman
Tim Burton collaborator and beloved Hollywood staple Danny DeVito makes a brief yet memorable cameo inBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, in which the popular performer appears as an afterlife janitor who is brutally murdered at the hands of Delores. The doomed character walks around the hallways in the Neitherworld with his headphones on, making a pitstop in the janitor’s closet and taking a swig from a bottle of floor varnish, with the liquid oozing from his mouth and hinting that he likely died by suicide.
DeVito Tips His Hat to the Penguin
The dark liquid spilling out of his mouth seems to be a tribute to the fate hisBatman Returnscounterpart the Penguin experienced, asthe diabolical villain’sdeath scene in the ’90s blockbuster hit also included the character having a black substance trickling out of his mouth. DeVito’s appearance inBeetlejuiceonce again reunited him with both Burton and Keaton, as they had notably starred in the aforementioned superhero flick as well as the director’s 2019 Disney ventureDumbo.
