In Hollywood, sometimes an idea has just enough staying power to keep itself in play, despite taking its sweet time to actually develop into a feature. A good example of this is Beetlejuice 2, a sequel that's been in the works for quite sometime only to die what seems like a million deaths. Now, however, the project is one to life a million-and-one, because Warner Bros. has hired Mike Vukadinovich as the new writer on the sequel to the 1988 horror/comedy classic.
While Beetlejuice saw Tim Burton and Michael Keaton putting their heads together as director and actor for the first time, Beetlejuice 2 is looking to reunite the two presumably not too long after they've collaborated on Disney's live-action remake of Dumbo, which is currently in production. Deadline first reported the news about the hiring, and their report doesn't include any details about the follow-ups story, but adds that Mike Vukadinovich comes from recent experiences on films like Rememory and the Hulu series Runaways. So his experience level in both smaller and mid-level scope projects just might help him deliver on a sequel that we thought we'd never see.
This latest draft comes not only after a previous draft written by Seth Grahame-Smith, but also just a few month after Michael Keaton himself announced that the project probably wasn't going to come together. Of course, these are only some of the most recent developments, as the original proposal for a sequel, Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, was kicking around through most of the 90's before properly being put on ice. Out of the lingering follow-ups that have remained active through years worth of dormancy, this has to be one of the most resilient. So what is it about Beetlejuice 2 that keeps Warner Bros coming back to the apple for another bite?
Well, much like Blade Runner 2049, and other projects of that nature, the nostalgia of the original is probably so compelling that the studio feels as though they'd have a hit on their hands. Beetlejuice 2 would have an advantage over the recently underperforming sci-fi film, given that it was a bona fide box office hit when it was first released, unlike Blade Runner.
It's worth noting that while Mike Vukadinovich is on board for rewriting duties on Beetlejuice 2, there's still no deal for either Tim Burton or Michael Keaton to participate in this long awaited sequel. If you ask us, that seems to be the deal maker or breaker when it comes to even getting this new adventure off the ground. Ultimately, if Beetlejuice 2 is hoping to announce a production start date or planned release date in the possible future, it'll need to do right by the fans, as well as the men who helped bring Beetlejuice to the big screen in the first place. And if there's any indication that this is a remote possibility, you'll hear it from us as soon as we find out. In the meantime, you can check out the release schedule for the rest of 2017, so as to plan some more immediate fun at the movies.
