Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star Michael Keaton had a strict condition for returning for the forthcoming horror-comedy sequel. Released in 1988, the original Tim Burton-directed Beetlejuice cast Michael Keaton as the titular character, a charismatic and cunning “bio-exorcist” who was hired by a recently deceased married couple who want to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. After years of speculation and sparse news about a new Beetlejuice sequel, it was announced in March 2022 that a sequel was in the works and Keaton was also confirmed to be returning to reprise his iconic role.

Now, in a conversation with Empire Magazine, Keaton reveals that he was adamant that he would only be returning for the Beetlejuice sequel if his screen time is properly maximized. The Golden Globe winner appeared in the original for about 17 minutes, and he maintained that he doesn’t want to be in the sequel for much longer because he believes “a lot of Betelgeuse” would only get tiresome quickly. Read his full quote below:

I was ultra-clear about that. I said, Honestly, we’ll blow it if we do that. We’ll really screw this thing up if we say, Let’s just have a lot of Betelgeuse. That would get very tiresome in my opinion. Yes, he’s politically incorrect, but you know what? That’s why I love it.

Michael Keaton Was Key To The Success Of The Original Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice Helped Catapult Keaton’s Career

Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice sitting on a sofa between a witch doctor with a white painted face and an explorer with a shrunken head Beetlejuice raising his arm up wearing a red tux Poster for Beetlejuice with Michael Keaton, Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin The witch doctor, Beetlejuice, and Harry the Hunter with shrunken heads in Beetlejuice's ending Michael Keaton grinning in Beetlejuice. Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice sitting on a sofa between a witch doctor with a white painted face and an explorer with a shrunken head Beetlejuice raising his arm up wearing a red tux Poster for Beetlejuice with Michael Keaton, Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin The witch doctor, Beetlejuice, and Harry the Hunter with shrunken heads in Beetlejuice's ending Michael Keaton grinning in Beetlejuice.

While there were many moving parts in making the Beetlejuice sequel happen, one of the biggest necessities was ensuring that Keaton returned to reprise his role. Upon release in 1988, Beetlejuice was met with huge acclaim, with many critics praising Burton’s directing work, the movie’s ingenuity as well as its humor. A number of the movie’s cast, like Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, and Catherine O’Hara, also received praise for their performances, but it was Keaton who was the star of the show.

Prior to starring in Beetlejuice, Keaton was still an up-and-comer who had appeared in a few comedy dramas and sitcoms. However, his eccentric and captivating performance in Beetlejuice catapulted him to stardom and in turn helped the movie’s commercial success as well. He played the stringy green-haired character to perfection, and even with limited screen time he left the most lasting impression, which has helped the character live on far beyond the movie.

The cast of Tim Burton’s 2024 film Beetlejuice Beetlejuice still hasn’t accounted for an original character whose return would greatly fit the sequel.

Since starring in Beetlejuice, Keaton has taken on many other roles in numerous films and TV shows, cementing himself as one of the best actors of his generation. His iconic Beetlejuice performance, however, remains arguably one of his very best to date. While Beetlejuice Beetlejuice might not feature much of Keaton, it’s almost certain that the talented actor will once more leave an indelible impression on this highly anticipated sequel as he did in the original.