The idea of a sequel to Tim Burton’s ace 1988 spook comedy Beetlejuice is one that has floated between the worlds of fact and rumour like a lost soul for years. Now, after a long period lost in limbo, it would seem that it’s back, with Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter writer Seth Grahame-Smith talking up the idea as he launches his new production company.
While there has been loose chatter about a follow-up to the Michael Keaton film, with even Burton himself handing Mars Attacks! writer Jonathan Gems the concept of a Hawaii-set sequel (which went through several script drafts but never saw the light of day), it’s always seemed to flare up occasionally, usually when any of the cast or the director himself are asked about it, and then die out again.
Well, like Beetlejuice himself needing to have his name called several times before he’ll appear, it seems as though the sequel has been mentioned enough to bring it to life.
It’s just one mooted movie being put together by Grahame-Smith and producing pal David Katzenberg, who have signed a two-year deal with Warners for their KatzSmith Productions company. Aiming to work much like JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot or Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine, they’ll generate their own output to turn into movies and more.
And it’s not like Grahame-Smith doesn’t already have a Burton connection. He wrote the script for the currently shooting Dark Shadows and Burton is a producer on the film version of Abraham Lincoln. Plus, we bet it doesn’t hurt that Katzenberg is the son of Jeffrey…
Still, from the sounds of it, they’ve got a lot bubbling away and have already proven themselves with novels, screenplays and a TV show under their belt. If the rights can be worked out, Grahame-Smith plans to write the Beetlejuice script, which is apparently going to “reboot it by advancing the storyline of the original” (Not sure quite how that works, but we may yet find out). We’re just crossing our fingers that Michael Keaton will be back…