Hold on to your handbooks for the recently deceased! The spirit world is stirring, and it seems Netflix just chanted his name thrice! Get ready for a nostalgic trip back to the land of the living (and the un-living) as Michael Keaton’s legendary bio-exorcist, Beetlejuice, is making a grand re-entrance onto the streaming giant.
Rewind to the days of iconic red envelopes – Netflix’s humble beginnings saw Tim Burton’s wickedly funny and wonderfully weird masterpiece, Beetlejuice, become their very first DVD sent out in March ’98. Now, the cinematic circle is complete! Next month, starting May 6th, prepare for the long-awaited sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, to materialize on the platform for a limited engagement. This critically acclaimed (boasting a solid 75% on Rotten Tomatoes!) blockbuster brings Burton’s distinct vision back to life and stars the sensational Jenna Ortega of Wednesday fame.
After years of spectral speculation and abandoned Parisian and Hawaiian haunts, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice finally haunted theaters in September 2024, whisking audiences back to the eerie charm of Winter River. This time, three generations of the unforgettable Deetz family reunite: the eternally quirky Lydia (Winona Ryder), her eccentric mother Delia (Catherine O’Hara), and Lydia’s own daughter, the brooding Astrid (Jenna Ortega), all for the somber occasion of Charles’s funeral. But when tragedy strikes, so does otherworldly trouble! Astrid’s accidental opening of a portal to the Afterlife inadvertently rolls out the welcome mat for the one and only Beetlejuice. Still fixated on marrying Lydia to escape his spectral existence, his return unleashes a fresh wave of delightful chaos upon the entire family as they race against time to save Astrid from a ghastly fate.
While not quite echoing the original’s fervent adoration, the sequel still conjured significant praise, with Collider’s Martin Tsai hailing it as a triumphant “return to form” for the visionary Burton, awarding it a respectable 7/10. More importantly for Warner Bros. Discovery, the film proved to be a phenomenal box office success, raking in a staggering $451.9 million worldwide! The enduring fascination with Keaton’s supernatural shenanigans was undoubtedly amplified by the exciting blend of returning icons – Ryder and O’Hara – alongside captivating newcomers like Ortega, Justin Theroux, the mesmerizing Monica Bellucci, and the always captivating Willem Dafoe. Adding to its bewitching charm was the filmmakers’ dedication to the original’s tactile magic, embracing a delightful abundance of practical effects. So, dust off your Handbook for the Recently Deceased and prepare for a darkly comedic reunion you won’t want to miss!
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