EntertainmentMoviesFantasy MoviesBeetlejuice 2Tim Burton explains how Netflix’s Wednesday inspired him to make Beetlejuice BeetlejuiceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentMoviesFantasy MoviesBeetlejuice 2Tim Burton explains how Netflix’s Wednesday inspired him to make Beetlejuice BeetlejuiceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Tim Burton was pretty sure he was done making movies until he directed the first four episodes of Netflix hit Wednesday. The hugely popular supernatural show didn’t just help him out of a rut, either, it directly inspired him to makeBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, the follow-up to his 1988 cult classic.
“I went off to Romania for nine months, and had time to wander the Carpathian Mountains and think about things,” he tellsTotal Film in our new issue, which hits newsstands on Thursday, August 15 and features the Ghost with the Most on the cover.
“There was something emotional that made me want to do it. There was something about [that] character, and what happens to people 35 years later. That was the emotional hook to me,” Burton explains. “What happens to people, once you get older? You go through different things. You have kids. It changes you. Now, I understand this stuff a bit better. I’ve been through it myself.”
(Image credit: Netflix)

As it stands, there’s very little that’s been revealed in the way of Beetlejuice 2’s plot, but we do know that Ryder’s grown-up, spiky-fringed goth is now the host of a spooky TV series called ‘Ghost House with Lydia Deetz’ – a skin-crawling update in the eyes of her sceptic teen daughter Astrid (Wednesday Addams herself Jenna Ortega). That, and the death of Jeffrey Jones' Charles Deetz brings the family back to the location of the first flick, Winter River, Connecticut, and subsequently leads to the reawakening of Keaton’s green-haired ghoul.
“Jenna, oh my God, I’m absolutely in love with her!” says Ryder of her heir apparent. “She is such a magnificent presence and person, and she’s endlessly fascinating with a huge heart. We first met at Tim’s house – Wednesday had just come out. I know what an overwhelming feeling it is to be in a show that suddenly takes off. So, I just gave her a big hug and I felt instantly maternal towards her. I felt a lot like I was seeing a younger version of myself, only like she’s a hundred times cooler.”
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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releases on September 6. You can read more about it, and a whole lot more besides, in the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Thursday, August 15.
Check out the covers below:
(Image credit: Martin Schoeller/Total Film/Cover Art Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures)

Pre-order the issue hereto bag your copy orclick here to subscribe to Total Filmand never miss another exclusive. You’ll get every issue before it’s in stores and you’ll get subscriber-exclusive covers.
(Image credit: Total Film/Warner Bros/Disney/Marvel Studios/20th Century Studios/Amazon)

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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
1
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
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2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
2
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
3
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
4
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”
5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”