ThoughBeetlejuice 2ended up bringing back a few surprise original characters from the 1988 movie, some received new equivalents to their roles in the plot instead, which, in some cases, left certain mysteries unsolved. Among the returning originalcast and characters inBeetlejuice 2are Betelgeuse himself (Michael Keaton), Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), and Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara), with Charles Deetz and Little Jane Butterfield also coming back with new actors. Overall, however,the majority ofBeetlejuice’s 1988 characters were ignored or cleverly written outof the sequel.
For instance, while they were the 1988 movie’s main characters, deceased couple Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Maitland (Geena Davis) don’t return inBeetlejuice 2. Their absences are explained by Lydia as being due to the ghosts finding a “loophole” in their 125-year sentence at the Winter River house and “moving on.” In other cases,Beetlejuice 2introduces new characters to serve similar roles to absent original figures, such asRory standing in for Othoand Wolf Jackson essentially replacing Juno. Surprisingly,one ofBeetlejuice’s most mysterious afterlife characters was replaced by a living person, leaving some old questions unanswered.
Beetlejuice 2 Replaced The Original Wedding Preacher With Father Damien
ConsideringBeetlejuice 2’s endingrepeats the 1988’s climax with a wedding between Betelgeuse and Lydia, it was inevitable that the Ghost with the Most would recruit an unwilling priest to preside over their nuptials. In the original movie’s wedding scene,Betelgeuse summoned a mysterious figure from the afterlife to perform the wedding ceremony, though this minister was certainly not human. Despite being one of just a few characters in the Tim Burton movie’s chaotic sequence, this officiant never gets an explanation for who (or what) exactly he is.
Father Damien’s name inBeetlejuice 2is speculated to be a reference to the 1976 horror movieThe Omen.
Cut toBeetlejuice 2over 36 years later, another wedding between Lydia and Betelgeuse takes place (this time with adance sequence set to “MacArthur Park”), but Betelgeuse already has a priest from the world of the living to use.Among the new recurring figures inBeetlejuice 2is Father Damien (Burn Gorman), Winter River’s local priestwho presides over Charles’ funeral, attends his wake, and is supposed to perform Lydia and Rory’s wedding ceremony before Betelgeuse hijacks the occasion. With Father Damien becoming an established character,Beetlejuice 2had no need to bring back the mysterious afterlife creature.
Beetlejuice 2’s Character Replacement Avoided Revealing What Species The Original Minister Actually Was
Promotional Materials Revealed His Name Was “Judge Skullface”
Though introducing Father Damien made sense given theDeetz family tree’s events with weddings and funerals, his presence meant that theBeetlejuicemovies would still fail to address what exactly the original officiant was. With an appearance that seems extraterrestrial and a sci-fi-like voice to match that look, it seemed like Betelgeuse had summoned an alien for the original wedding.Before that moment,Beetlejuicehadn’t really given any indication that the Neitherworld included aliens or non-human souls, so there was hope that the creature’s unexplained nature might be addressed inBeetlejuice 2.
11 Original Characters Still Missing From Beetlejuice 2
In addition to Beetlejuice, Lydia, and Delia, there are some great missing original characters who still must return for Beetlejuice 2.
In some promotional materials for the original movie,the character was featured with the name “Judge Skullface,”though no other details about him were given. There was clearly some well-spent time that went into crafting the figure, though, as he’s physically portrayed by Tony Cox but voiced by Jack Angel. His name in the promotional materials indicates he’s a judge in the afterlife, which tracks withBeetlejuice 2diving into the afterlife justice system withWolf Jackson’s dead police force, but it’s still disappointing that the enigmatic figure and his species weren’t addressed in the sequel.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Cast
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.
Beetlejuice
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular “bio-exorcist”, an obnoxious spirit who specializes in driving living occupants out of homes. When Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die suddenly, they pass into the spirit realm, and must stay in their home. However, in the living world, the Deetz family purchases the house and moves in, prompting the Maitlands to enlist the help of Beetlejuice to drive them away.
