Beetlejuice Beetlejuice director Tim Burton insists that what you see is what you get with the highly anticipated fantasy comedy horror sequel. Burton claims much of the upcoming blockbuster was improvised during production.

Speaking with Collider, Burton opened up about the creative process behind Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel to his Oscar-winning 1988 effort, Beetlejuice. According to the acclaimed filmmaker and producer, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice didn’t stick much to the script as he channeled the spirit of the original Beetlejuice by letting the actors improvise and add different elements to their characters to make them stand out.

“It was a bit like the first movie. I tried to treat this movie like the spirit of the first movie where we had a script, but there was a lot of improv that went on. I’m very lucky to work with people like Michael [Keaton] and Catherine [O’Hara] who are very good at improv. We just tried to do it in the spirit of that. Shoot quickly, and all the actors contributed, Justin [Theroux] and Will [Dafoe], everybody contributed to their character. They really took it from the page and made it something else. That was the whole vibe of the movie,” he said.

I’m very lucky to work with people like Michael [Keaton] and Catherine [O’Hara] who are very good at improv.

Burton also praised lead actor Michael Keaton’s ability to switch on and off while on the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice set, as he reprises his role as the titular ghost/bio-exorcist. Burton claims rehearsals didn’t occur before Keaton channeled his inner Betelgeuse, making his performance “disturbing” yet captivating. “We didn’t rehearse, we didn’t do anything. So he comes on, and it was truly like demon possession. It felt like a time warp. You’re right; it was unnerving. It was great, it was exciting, but it was really also disturbing,” he said.

The Beetlejuice Sequel Arrives After 36 Years

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice comes 36 years after the original movie, with Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara returning alongside Keaton from the first film. A sequel looked improbable for several years after initial plans for a follow-up went into development hell before Burton and Warner Bros. confirmed Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in 2022 following several behind-the-scenes discussions.

The upcoming Beetlejuice sequel sees Ryder’s Lydia Deetz and her family return to their Winter River home following a family tragedy. However, the return becomes a haunting one after Lydia’s teenage daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife, releasing Betelgeuse to cause chaos for the Deetz family once again. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice reunites Burton with Ortega as Burton produces the Ortega-led Wednesday series on Netflix.

Early reviews for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival on Aug. 28, have been solid, with Keaton’s performance as the “Ghost With the Most” leading the praise. The sequel is expected to generate between $65 million and $80 million during its opening weekend at the domestic box office.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opens in theaters internationally on Sept. 4 before making its Stateside premiere on Sept. 6.