35 Years of Showtime: How Beetlejuice Possessed Our Hearts

Let’s get the inevitable out of the way first: Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!

There’s no way to talk about everyone’s favorite Burton-tinged, stripe-wearing bio-exorcist without saying his name at least three times. Since the film Beetlejuice premiered in 1988, fans have been possessed by the humor, oddities, and death-adjacent adventure of the movie. It stands as an iconic fixture of the era and you’re guaranteed to see the black and white suit at least once each and every Halloween. Sandworms, the “Banana Boat song,” and the Handbook for the Recently Deceased are here to stay, day after day-o.

Even though Michael Keaton’s title demon swore he wouldn’t do two shows a night, Beetlejuice (or Betelgeuse if you’re fancy) is still the Ghost With the Most after 35 years. From the stage to Easter eggs (and even a four-season animated series in the ’90s), he’s taken on a whole new afterlife outside of the silver screen — and fans are still calling for more. Let’s take a closer look at why this haunting and humorous legacy simply can’t be exorcised!

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The Musical, The Musical, The Musical!

It’s showtime! More and more movies are getting a whole new sort of afterlife these days — on the Broadway stage, of all places. While no one might have expected it, the Beetlejuice stage production became an overnight triumph thanks to an avid fanbase, social media presence, and its incredible execution.

The show had its first off-Broadway performances in 2018 after its inception in 2016, and soon was haunting Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater in 2019. It took some adaptational liberties from the film and namely gave Lydia a lot more depth and emotional exploration. In the musical, she’s still reeling from the untimely death of her mother while the recently deceased Maitlands mourn the life and family they never got to have. Beetlejuice frequently breaks the fourth wall with his irreverence and humor, and the show has a whole functioning sandworm in it! That’s worth the price of admission alone. From pyrotechnics to costuming, Beetlejuice the Musical pays tribute to the classic while making its own unique mark on the franchise.

Actor Alex Brightman brought his own spin to the titular Ghost with the Most, perfecting a gravelly voice he could use in eight shows a week. The whole show proved infectiously fun, embracing its active fan community and spotlighting fanart, cosplay, and other homegrown projects in celebration of the Netherworld. Viral dance videos, behind the scenes features from the cast, and even a fan-made art mural at the Marquis Theater made everyone want to say that name three times in hopes of getting a seat in the theater.

Now the production is even touring around the United States, so if you haven’t had a chance to jump in the line (eh?), you’ll want to hurry to your nearest performance before they totally ghost you!

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Stranger Things and the Winona-ssaince

It’s no secret that Winona Ryder is an icon of the ’80s and ’90s. Her roles in films like Heathers, Edward Scissorhands, and Girl, Interrupted cemented her star status for years to come, but her portrayal of Beetlejuice‘s Lydia Deetz has had the longest cultural afterlife. (Fun fact: Heathers also had its own musical adaptation in 2010, spotlighting Ryder’s Veronica Sawyer.)

Despite a career hiatus, the strange and unusual goth girl got even stranger when Winona Ryder joined Stranger Things in 2016 as Joyce Byers, the beleaguered mother of “WILL!” With the series also set in the ’80s, it serves as a perfect celebration of Ryder’s cinematic impact in that era while also proving her adult acting chops. Her tireless pursuit of her missing son serves as the emotional anchor of the early series, and fans just want her to finally have a chance to relax and rest with her loved ones as the final season looms. Pour one out for Bob Newby, but there’s still hope for more Jopper (Joyce + Hopper).

The show even had its own Beetlejuice Easter egg in season 3’s episode “The Mall Rats” — Mr. Clarke’s miniature model hides a cemetery with a familiar demonic headstone for eagle-eyed fans to find. With Stranger Things becoming an unstoppable pop culture juggernaut, Winona Ryder has been introduced to new generations of fans and continues to prove her star power in any and every era.

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Infinitely Quotable (But Only Three Times!)

The cultural references to this film are endless. With dozens of memorable quotes, a colorful cast of characters, and beloved costume and set design, it’s no surprise everyone wants to pay homage. Perhaps one of the most subtly but excellently executed series Easter eggs was found in Community.

Longtime fans may have noticed that the name “Beetlejuice” was uttered in several single instances across the first three seasons of the series: in episodes “Communication Studies,” “Cooperative Calligraphy,” and finally “Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps.” After Annie says the fateful name for a third time in the Halloween-themed episode, a Beetlejuice-costumed background extra cleverly walks through the frame, closing out this joke with expert blink-and-you’ll-miss-it payoff.

The Beetlejuice stripes are also undeniably famous, with the black and white regalia finding its way into many other shows’ Easter eggs. Notably in the comedy Schitt’s Creek, Catherine O’Hara’s Moira Rose is spotted carrying a whimsical umbrella that is a clear callback to her role as Delia Deetz, the fussy and artistic matriarch of the Deetz clan.

Tim Burton’s recent project Wednesday even managed to sneak the stripes in as a callback to everyone’s favorite Juilliard alum. There’s just no getting rid of this guy!

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Tim Burton and the Triumph of Wednesday

Speaking of Wednesday, Tim Burton is back in a big way thanks to this recent runaway hit on Netflix. The series reinvigorated and reimagined classic Addams Family lore and even managed to secure some viral dance content on social media, renewing interest in both Burton’s body of work and the general gothic subculture. Wednesday has a natural blend of horror and macabre comedy, and nabbed a season 2 renewal shortly after the streaming premiere.

While Burton’s signature style is all over the project, the show’s success also hinged on lead actress Jenna Ortega pulling off such a beloved and distinct performance as Wednesday Addams — thankfully, the Scream franchise alum stunned even the skeptical viewers, and audiences are now eager for more.

Like a jolt of Uncle Fester’s static electricity, the success of Wednesday has given new energy to another Beetlejuice discussion we thought long dead…

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Rumors of a Sequel

Ah, the fabled Beetlejuice sequel. Like the old, dead couple in the attic, this one just won’t quit haunting us. It’s been years in the works, and it’s never quite clear if the project is alive or not.

As of 2022, according to Deadline, Brad Pitt’s Plan B production company has reportedly boarded early development of a proper Beetlejuice 2. So, we’ll see if this one can rise from the grave. With a milestone anniversary, Winona Ryder’s current star status, Burton’s latest successes, and Michael Keaton’s upcoming appearance as Batman in The Flash, interest in the bio-exorcist’s second outing is at a fever pitch.

Thanks to her recent Wednesday role, actress Jenna Ortega is considered a natural choice for carrying on the strange and unusual Deetz family legacy. But right now, there isn’t a lot that’s definite about the project — no current casting or finalized script. Still, it seems like we’re closer than ever to the return of this undead icon — we just wonder if he ever managed that trip to Hawaii…

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No matter how many portals to the Netherworld we open, it seems like Beetlejuice is here to stay! We’re cool with that, as long as no shrimp demons or sentient art statues come to attack us.

What’s your favorite part of the Beetlejuice legacy? Are you anticipating a sequel? Say the name three times to continue the conversation over at side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!