Winona Ryder has had her fair share of ups and downs, both personally and professionally, but the actress has also turned in some iconic roles over the past three decades. Now, nearly 30 years after the original, Ryder has confirmed she’ll be reprising her role as Lydia Deetz in the much-anticipated sequel to 1988’s Beetlejuice.
Well, pretty much, anyway.
In a recent interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers, the eccentric actress explained that she “thinks” she can confirm that the wheels are in motion to create Beetlejuice 2.
“Tim Burton … was doing some press for Big Eyes,” the actress explained, “and he said ‘Oh yeah, we’re doing it, and Winona’s gonna be in it.’” The news came much to Ryder’s surprise, apparently, as she had been previously unaware of any confirmation of the film, or her involvement.
“But I really don’t know much more than anybody else,” Ryder continued.
It would seem that an implicit offer from Burton is all it takes for actors to jump on board his latest project — especially when it comes to the return to a story that appears to be timeless. Later in the interview, Ryder explained that she’s still bombarded by requests to repeat the famous three-word spell that evokes the ghoulish prankster played so indelibly by Michael Keaton, “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.”
Ryder’s insight is far from the first mention of a revival sequel to the much-loved film about ghosts, possessions, and the bizarre afterlife inhabited by the attention-seeking undead hooligan. Rumors of the sequel can be dated back to October 2013, and both Burton and Keaton have since mentioned that they were in talks to bring the sequel to life.
However, since Keaton’s star has turned red hot again thanks to his role in Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), it would appear that the sequel is now imminent. And frankly, we’re more than intrigued to find out just what kind of tale the players can churn out so long after the original movie — and pretty excited too. Day-O!
