124 Fun Facts About Beetlejuice

Who directed the 1988 supernatural comedy film "Beetlejuice"?

Tim Burton, known for his distinctive gothic style, directed the original "Beetlejuice" film, which became a critical and commercial success.

Which actor played Adam Maitland, one of the recently deceased homeowners, in Beetlejuice (1988)?

Alec Baldwin played Adam Maitland, who ran Maitland Hardware in Winter River; the scale model of the town he built as a hobby ends up housing Betelgeuse for much of the film.

What is the name of the goth teenager who can see the Maitland ghosts in the 1988 film Beetlejuice?

Lydia Deetz, played by Winona Ryder, is the Deetzes' black-clad, camera-toting daughter; she photographs the house and, alone among the living, can see the Maitland ghosts.

Who composed the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical "Beetlejuice"?

Australian comedian and musician Eddie Perfect wrote the original music and lyrics for the "Beetlejuice" stage musical, earning a Tony nomination for his work.

In 'Beetlejuice', who is the Maitlands' afterlife caseworker who advises them on haunting?

Juno, the Maitlands' afterlife caseworker, chain-smokes in a cramped office as smoke curls out of her slit throat; she scolds the couple for a feeble haunting and warns them to keep away from Betelgeuse.

Which actor famously portrayed the titular "bio-exorcist" ghost in the 1988 film "Beetlejuice"?

Michael Keaton delivered an iconic performance as the crude and chaotic ghost Betelgeuse, pronounced "Beetlejuice."

Which sport's dead players crowd the afterlife waiting room with their coach?

A football team killed with its coach sits in the waiting room in uniform; the coach still cannot grasp that they are dead and asks about the showers.

How did the animated series change the relationship between Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz from the film?

The cartoon recast him as a prankster and gave Lydia a quirkier, more upbeat personality; she can still summon him by saying his name three times.

In an early Beetlejuice screenplay, what fate was intended for Betelgeuse?

That draft also shrank the Maitlands down to live inside Adam's model of the house; the very first draft made Betelgeuse a winged demon who wanted to kill the Deetzes rather than scare them.

Whose calypso music features in the "Dinner Party" scene of Beetlejuice (1988)?

Two of his vintage recordings heard in the film, 'Man Smart, Woman Smarter' and 'Sweetheart from Venezuela', were left off the soundtrack album; the screenwriter had originally specified R&B tunes.

What was the official opening date of the "Beetlejuice" musical on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre?

The musical officially opened on April 25, 2019, at the Winter Garden Theatre after previews from March 28; it ran there until the pandemic shutdown of March 2020.

Which actress played Delia Deetz, Lydia's eccentric stepmother, in the 1988 film "Beetlejuice"?

Catherine O'Hara played Delia Deetz, Lydia's stepmother, fresh from SCTV; she met her future husband, the film's production designer, on the set and married him in 1992.

The 1988 film Beetlejuice won its only Academy Award in which craft category?

Best Makeup went to Ve Neill, Steve LaPorte and Robert Short for the film's ghouls, shrunken heads and Betelgeuse's moldy look; Burton wanted the effects to look deliberately cheap, like the B movies he grew up on.

How do the living summon Betelgeuse in the film?

Barbara uses the same trick in reverse, banishing him back into the model by saying his name three times after he turns the banister into a snake.

Which interior designer botches a séance in Beetlejuice?

His seance goes wrong because he mixes the summoning spell with an exorcism, leaving the Maitlands aging and decaying until Lydia calls in Betelgeuse.

In Beetlejuice, what is the title of the book the Maitlands find in their home after their deaths?

Handbook for the Recently Deceased is what the Maitlands find after noticing they have no reflections; losing it to Otho is one of the things their caseworker berates them for.

The animated series "Beetlejuice" originally premiered on which television network?

The cartoon premiered on ABC on September 9, 1989, in its Saturday-morning lineup; from 1991 it also ran on Fox's weekday afternoon block, briefly airing on two broadcast networks at once.

What kind of creature guards the outer reaches of the afterlife in the film Beetlejuice?

Giant striped sandworms patrol the desert that lies just outside the house's doors; one later swallows Betelgeuse whole when Barbara rides it into the wedding.

Which studio released the original film in US cinemas in March 1988?

The studio disliked the title and wanted to call the film House Ghosts; Tim Burton jokingly countered with Scared Sheetless and was horrified when it was seriously considered.

In Beetlejuice, what is the profession of Lydia's father, Charles, when he buys the Maitlands' house?

Real estate developer Charles has fled New York for peace after a breakdown, yet once the haunting amuses his dinner guests he schemes to sell Winter River as a supernatural attraction.

Which creators of 'Wednesday' wrote the screenplay for 2024's 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice'?

Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, the Wednesday showrunners, wrote the screenplay for Burton, who built the story around wondering what became of Lydia; their Wednesday star Jenna Ortega joined the cast as Lydia's daughter.

The film's outdoor scenes were shot in the village of East Corinth, in which US state?

East Corinth, Vermont, stood in for Winter River; the Maitland house exterior was a shell built on a hill above the village and taken down after the shoot.

In the "Beetlejuice" musical, who wrote the book (the script) for the production?

Scott Brown and Anthony King wrote the book, earning a 2019 Tony nomination for Best Book of a Musical; the show's full marketing title was 'Beetlejuice The Musical. The Musical. The Musical.'

What is the primary goal of Adam and Barbara Maitland after they realize they are ghosts?

The Maitlands want to scare the new owners out of their house, but Charles and Delia cannot even see them; the possessed dinner party they stage only delights the guests.

Who was Tim Burton's original choice to play Betelgeuse before Michael Keaton?

Sammy Davis Jr. was Burton's first pick for Betelgeuse; producer David Geffen then suggested Michael Keaton, whose work Burton did not know until the two met.

In Beetlejuice's epilogue, Betelgeuse tries to steal a numbered ticket in the afterlife waiting room from whom?

A witch doctor whose ticket Betelgeuse tries to take shrinks his head in revenge, leaving him stuck in the waiting room while Lydia, back home, floats up the stairs to 'Jump in the Line'.

Which actress played Barbara Maitland, Adam's wife, in the 1988 film Beetlejuice?

Geena Davis declined the 2024 sequel, noting ghosts stay the age they died; Roger Ebert wished the script had kept more of the couple's 'sweet romanticism'.

The 2024 sequel "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" introduces Lydia Deetz's daughter. What is her name?

The sequel "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" introduces Astrid Deetz, Lydia's rebellious teenage daughter, played by Jenna Ortega.

What is the location of the Maitlands' house in the film?

Winter River, Connecticut, is the film's fictional New England village, where Adam ran the hardware store and built a scale model of the town; the Deetzes arrive from New York within months of the Maitlands' deaths.

Which composer wrote the original film's score and arranged its theme for the animated series?

Danny Elfman wrote the 1988 score, his second collaboration with Burton after Pee-wee's Big Adventure; his main title was reworked as the cartoon's theme, and he returned to score the 2024 sequel.

Who originated the title role in the Broadway musical, earning a Tony nomination for it?

Alex Brightman originated Beetlejuice on Broadway and earned a 2019 Tony nomination for Best Actor in a Musical, his second after School of Rock; Christopher Fitzgerald had played the part in a 2016 reading.

In Beetlejuice, what is the stated duration that the Maitlands are condemned to haunt their house?

125 years, their caseworker Juno says, and three months have already slipped by while they queued in the afterlife's bureaucracy.

In the film, what is Delia Deetz's artistic profession?

Delia Deetz is a sculptor whose spiky abstract pieces fill the renovated house; in the climax Betelgeuse brings her sculptures to life to pin her and Charles to the floor.

Which Toronto studio, also behind Babar and The Care Bears Movie, animated the Beetlejuice cartoon series?

Nelvana's show became one of the first animated series to air concurrently on two US broadcast networks.

How do Adam and Barbara Maitland die in the film's opening minutes?

The Maitlands die in a car accident, their car plunging off the town's covered bridge into the river; McDowell's original script showed the crash and drowning far more graphically than the finished film does.

In the animated series, what is the name of the New England town in the mortal world where Lydia lives?

In the cartoon Lydia lives in Peaceful Pines with Charles and Delia, crossing into the Neitherworld to visit Beetlejuice; many later episodes were parodies of films, books and TV shows.

In 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice', how is Charles Deetz revealed to have died?

Jeffrey Jones did not return, so the character was killed off; the death is shown in a stop-motion sequence and his funeral brings the family back to Winter River.

What color is Lydia Deetz's wedding dress in the climax of the 1988 film?

The ceremony is stopped when Barbara rides a sandworm into the house and it swallows the groom.

The Broadway musical of "Beetlejuice" first had a pre-Broadway tryout in which city?

The musical tried out at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., from October to November 2018; a harsh Washington Post review prompted rewrites before the show opened on Broadway the following spring.

The animated series "Beetlejuice" ran for how many seasons?

The second and third seasons had just eight episodes each, while the fourth was the only one to air on Fox Kids.

What did the original 1988 Beetlejuice cost to make?

The $15 million outlay came back many times over: it became the 10th-highest-grossing film of 1988.

Which new Beetlejuice Beetlejuice character is a ghost detective who was a B-movie action star in life?

Wolf Jackson, played by Willem Dafoe, heads the afterlife's police squad; a prop grenade that turned out to be live killed the B-movie action star, and he spends the sequel hunting Delores.

In Beetlejuice, what is the primary characteristic that allows Lydia Deetz to see the Maitlands and other ghosts?

Lydia calls herself 'strange and unusual', and the Handbook she reads says the living usually ignore the strange and unusual; that is why she sees the Maitlands when her parents cannot.

Who handled the macabre production design of the 1988 Beetlejuice?

Tim Burton wanted Anton Furst, who was committed to High Spirits; through the job Welch met Catherine O'Hara, whom he later married.

Which calypso number are the Deetzes and their dinner guests forced to dance to by the Maitlands?

The original 1956 recording is used; the song returned in the 2024 sequel performed by a children's choir.

How many episodes were in the final season of the "Beetlejuice" animated series?

The fourth and final season, aired on Fox's weekday block in 1991, had 65 episodes, more than the first three seasons (13, 8 and 8) combined.

Where in the house does Adam Maitland build his scale model of the town?

Adam's model of Winter River sits in the attic, where the Maitlands hide from the Deetzes and where Betelgeuse, shrunk down, waits in its miniature graveyard to be summoned.

Which stage veteran won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress as Juno in Beetlejuice (1988)?

Sylvia Sidney, a renowned actress, won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Juno, the Maitlands' afterlife caseworker.

What is the primary motivation for Betelgeuse to try and marry Lydia in the film?

Marrying a living person would let Betelgeuse leave the afterlife and stay in the mortal world for good, which is why he bargains with Lydia for a wedding in exchange for saving the Maitlands.

Which actress plays Delores, Betelgeuse's soul-sucking ex-wife, in 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice'?

Monica Bellucci plays Delores, who poisoned Betelgeuse on their wedding night for a soul-sucking immortality cult; he hacked her to pieces in return, and she staples herself back together in the sequel.

Which two Harry Belafonte albums supplied most of the film's featured music?

'Day-O' and 'Man Smart (Woman Smarter)' come from Belafonte's 1956 album Calypso, while 'Jump in the Line' and 'Sweetheart from Venezuela' come from 1961's Jump Up Calypso.

Which two writers share story credit on the 1988 film?

McDowell and Wilson had co-written 'The Jar', an Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode Burton directed.

Which real estate agent keeps pestering the Maitlands to sell their house?

Her daughter Jane Butterfield Jr. appears in the 2024 sequel.

Why do the Maitlands swerve off the bridge in the opening?

Adam swerves to avoid a stray dog wandering the covered bridge; the car teeters on the edge until the dog steps off the plank, then plunges into the river and the couple drown.

On which moon does Adam find himself when he first steps outside the house?

It is populated by enormous sandworms.

How long was Adam gone, per Barbara, after his seconds-long sandworm encounter?

Barbara tells Adam he was gone two hours, though he felt he had stepped outside for only seconds; time runs differently in the sandworm desert beyond the house's doors.

Which clue first tips the Maitlands off to their deaths?

Then they find the Handbook for the Recently Deceased.

Delia's redesign follows what aesthetic?

Otho Fenlock guides the makeover.

How much time has passed when the Maitlands return from the afterlife waiting room?

Juno tells the Maitlands three months have passed while they waited in the afterlife's bureaucracy; they return to find the Deetzes moved in and the house gutted and redesigned.

What was Betelgeuse's job before going freelance as a bio-exorcist?

Juno says Betelgeuse was once her assistant but went freelance as a self-styled bio-exorcist and caused trouble, so she warns the Maitlands not to contact him.

Which investor does Charles pitch a supernatural amusement park to?

Charles pitches Maxie Dean, a wealthy New York investor, on turning Winter River into a supernatural theme park; Maxie and his wife Sarah demand proof of ghosts, which sets up the Betelgeuse summoning.

Which household object does Betelgeuse possess and turn into a giant snake?

Barbara banishes him back to the model by saying his name three times.

What does Otho use to summon the Maitlands in his botched séance?

Otho has Lydia fetch the Maitlands' wedding clothes from the attic as the focus of his ritual; the couple appear wearing them, and the garments rot on their decaying bodies as the exorcism takes hold.

Which two Burton films did Bo Welch go on to design after this one?

Bo Welch followed Beetlejuice with Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Batman Returns (1992) for Burton; Batman itself went to Anton Furst, who won the Oscar for its design.

What share of the modest budget went to visual effects?

Only about $1 million of the $15 million budget went to visual effects, one-fifteenth; Burton wanted them to look cheap and purposely fake, like the B movies of his youth.

Which title did Warner Bros. want instead of 'Beetlejuice'?

The studio wanted to retitle it House Ghosts; Burton joked they should call it Scared Sheetless instead and was horrified when that was seriously considered.

Where were the film's interiors shot?

Principal photography ran from March 11 to June 11, 1987.

Which two comedians were also considered for Betelgeuse before Keaton?

Producer David Geffen suggested Keaton, whom Burton did not know.

Who was the runner-up for the role of Lydia Deetz?

Burton cast Winona Ryder after seeing her in Lucas.

Which actress was originally cast as Delia Deetz but dropped out due to illness?

Catherine O'Hara took over after nearly declining.

Which actor kept Catherine O'Hara from wanting the role, as she imagined him as Betelgeuse?

She then went to the wrong Warner Bros. lot and missed Burton.

In an early draft, how was Betelgeuse envisioned?

That version wanted to kill the Deetzes rather than scare them.

Which line in the finished film is a leftover of the graphic car-crash draft?

In the original script her arm was crushed as they drowned.

Which song was Skaaren's draft to end with Lydia dancing to?

His script called for R&B, not Harry Belafonte.

A deleted scene revealed Betelgeuse died how, centuries earlier?

He choked slowly rather than snapping his neck, then worked for Juno.

Which Universal executive project did Larry Wilson work on when the script was called 'a piece of weirdness'?

Shortly after, they sold it to the Geffen Company.

What box-office record did the film set on its March 1988 opening?

It earned $8,030,897 in its first weekend.

What grade did CinemaScore audiences give the 1988 film?

Rotten Tomatoes has it at 83%.

Which critic called the film a 'comedy classic'?

Siskel and Ebert both gave it thumbs down and compared it unfavorably to Ghostbusters.

Which critic wrote the film 'is about as funny as a shrunken head'?

Her New York Times review was negative.

Where did the film rank on AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs list?

The American Film Institute placed Beetlejuice 88th on its 2000 list of the 100 funniest American films, AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs, which Some Like It Hot topped.

Which developer made the 1991 NES Beetlejuice platformer for LJN?

Rare also made the 1992 Game Boy title based on the cartoon.

Which toys-to-life game got a Beetlejuice fun pack in September 2017?

It included a constructable Saturn's Sandworm.

Which fighting game added Beetlejuice in its second season?

MultiVersus, Warner Bros.' crossover platform fighter, added Beetlejuice as a playable character in its second season in 2024, timed to the sequel's theatrical run.

Which studio co-produced the 2024 sequel with Warner Bros.?

Plan B is Brad Pitt's company.

Which film festival opened with 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' in August 2024?

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opened the 81st Venice Film Festival on August 28, 2024, screening out of competition on the Lido ahead of its general release.

Roughly how much did 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' gross worldwide?

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice grossed about $452 million worldwide on a roughly $100 million budget, opening to $111 million in North America, the second-biggest September debut ever at the time behind It.

Which 2011 hire pitched a sequel story that was shelved in 2019?

Seth Grahame-Smith was hired in 2011 to write a sequel, having worked with Burton on Dark Shadows and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter; Warner Bros. shelved that version in 2019 before the project was revived.

Why was the sequel's filming suspended for four months in 2023?

Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos shot in England and the US.

What is the name of Lydia's paranormal talk show in the sequel?

Lydia hosts a paranormal talk show called Ghost House, produced by her manipulative boyfriend Rory; glimpsing Betelgeuse in the studio audience is what unnerves her early in the film.

How did Astrid's father Richard die?

Richard, played by Santiago Cabrera, was eaten by piranhas on an expedition in the Amazon; Astrid's longing to see him again is what a ghost boy exploits to lure her into the afterlife.

What does Betelgeuse run in the Netherworld in the sequel?

Betelgeuse runs a bio-exorcism call centre in the afterlife, staffed by shrunken-headed ghosts and led by the mute, anxious Bob, whom he treats as his right-hand man.

During which historical event did Betelgeuse and Delores meet?

A black-and-white flashback played in Italian shows Betelgeuse in plague-stricken Italy during the Black Death, where he met and married Delores; she poisoned him and he hacked her apart in return.

What is the name of the ghost boy Astrid befriends?

Jeremy Frazier, played by Arthur Conti, seems a gentle outsider in his treehouse, but he murdered his parents and plans to trade places with Astrid so he can return to the living.

In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, what is the afterlife transport to the 'Great Beyond' called?

The Soul Train carries Charles and Delia off to the Great Beyond together at the end.

How does Delia die in the sequel?

Delia is bitten by asps she bought for a performance-art grief ritual for Charles, believing their fangs had been removed; she dies and joins him in the afterlife.

Which song did Burton suggest for the sequel's wedding musical number?

Writer Alfred Gough called it 'the crazy, weird, insane thing you need'.

Which shelved sequel had Betelgeuse win a surf contest with magic?

Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, written by Jonathan Gems in 1990, had the Deetzes build a resort on a burial ground and Betelgeuse win a surf contest by magic; Kevin Smith later declined to rewrite it.

Which Netflix series did Ryder join on condition she could leave to film a sequel?

The Duffer Brothers agreed to her request.

Which classic film's boat ride was the sequel's plot likened to?

Keaton felt the story was stronger than the original's.

On which date did Arthur Conti learn he was cast, leading him to think it was a joke?

He auditioned over Zoom with Burton and a chemistry test with Ortega.

Which character in the sequel was inspired by Otho from the original?

Writers wanted someone everyone would want to see get his comeuppance.

Which actor cameos as a Netherworld janitor drained by Delores?

Danny DeVito, Burton's Penguin in Batman Returns, cameos as an afterlife janitor; Delores sucks out his soul moments after stapling herself back together in the records room.

Who voices the newborn version of Betelgeuse in the sequel?

Keaton and Burton kept the character as malicious as in 1988.

Who voiced Beetlejuice in the animated series?

Stephen Ouimette, a Canadian stage actor, voiced Beetlejuice throughout the cartoon's 94 episodes, with Alyson Court as Lydia; Michael Keaton was not involved.

What is the name of Lydia's spoiled school rival in the cartoon?

Bertha and Prudence are her friends.

Which Neitherworld resident is a French skeleton and aspiring bodybuilder?

Jacques LaLean, a French-accented skeleton who lives in the Roadhouse beside Beetlejuice, dreams of becoming a bodybuilder; his name puns on fitness guru Jack LaLanne.

What are the names of Beetlejuice's parents in the cartoon?

His clean-cut brother is Donny Juice.

What is Doomie in the animated series?

Doomie is Beetlejuice's living car, a sentient jalopy that behaves like a loyal dog and can transform into the monstrous Dragster of Doom when provoked.

Which Broadway venue hosted the musical's 2022-23 return?

The musical returned to Broadway at the Marquis Theatre from April 2022 to January 2023, after its original Winter Garden run had ended in the March 2020 shutdown.

Who directed the Beetlejuice musical?

Tim Burton was not consulted on the production.

Who originated Lydia in the Broadway musical?

Sophia Anne Caruso originated Lydia, opening the show at 17 and staying with it until early 2020; Kerry Butler and Rob McClure played the Maitlands.

Which musical replaced Beetlejuice at the Winter Garden, forcing a planned 2020 closure?

The Shuberts booked the Hugh Jackman revival of The Music Man into the Winter Garden, so Beetlejuice was set to close in June 2020; the pandemic ended it in March after 366 regular performances.

Which song do the Maitlands' fatal floorboards accompany in the musical?

The Maitlands sing 'Ready, Set, Not Yet' about putting off life's big decisions, then fall through rotten floorboards to their deaths mid-number; Beetlejuice arrives as their would-be bio-exorcist straight after.

In the musical, what is Delia hired as?

The musical recasts Delia as a life coach Charles hires for the grieving Lydia, though she is secretly his girlfriend, a setup the film never had.

Which musical song has Lydia grieving her mother?

'Dead Mom' is Lydia's rock number addressed to her late mother Emily, whose funeral opens the show; 'Invisible' is her earlier lament that nobody sees her.

What MPAA rating did the 1988 film receive?

Beetlejuice was rated PG in 1988 despite its profanity and the Dante's Inferno Room brothel gag; the 2024 sequel was rated PG-13.

In which 1986 film did Tim Burton first see Winona Ryder before casting her as Lydia?

Burton cast Winona Ryder as Lydia after seeing her in Lucas, her 1986 screen debut opposite Corey Haim; Heathers and Mermaids came after Beetlejuice.

Which pageant title did the afterlife's green-skinned receptionist hold in life?

The receptionist, played by Patrice Martinez, was Miss Argentina in life; her slit wrists hint at the 'little accident' she says she would never have had if she knew then what she knows now.

Who plays Rory, Lydia's manager and fiancé, in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?

Justin Theroux plays Rory, the smarmy grief-guru producer of Lydia's show who pushes her into a quick wedding; Betelgeuse doses him with truth serum at the altar and he confesses he was after her money.

What does Betelgeuse bellow when Lydia finally summons him at the film's climax?

'It's showtime!' is Betelgeuse's cry when Lydia summons him to save the Maitlands; he then routs the Deetzes' guests with a barrage of carnival horrors.

On what date did Beetlejuice Beetlejuice open in US cinemas?

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice reached US cinemas on September 6, 2024, 36 years after the original, and took about $111 million on its first weekend.

Which number introduces Beetlejuice at the top of the Broadway musical?

'The Whole 'Being Dead' Thing' is Beetlejuice's fourth-wall-breaking opening number, following Lydia's brief prologue at her mother's funeral; it returns in several reprises through the show.

What do the Maitlands wear when Lydia first catches them haunting the house?

Adam and Barbara drape themselves in bedsheets to play classic ghosts, which only intrigues Lydia; she tells the sheeted figures she can see them and they pull the sheets off.