When making a sequel like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, there tend to be nods and winks to the franchise past what everyone assumes will be present. As the follow-up to the lovably bonkers Tim Burton horror-comedy is slated to debut later in the 2024 movie schedule, the world at large is still being kept in the dark in terms of what to expect.
But thanks to a recent interview, star Catherine O’Hara has revealed that a beloved aspect of the 1988 original will be returning. O’Hara’s recent guest spot on the podcast Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa revealed that an iconic song from the previous movie is going to be in the next chapter as well. And since there are only two Harry Belafonte tunes in Beetlejuice, you have a 50% chance of guessing correctly, before reading the answer below:
‘Day-O’ is in the movie. It was just very, just really loose and fun and lovely, and Michael Keaton was so happy to be there, and Jenna is so cool. Jenna Ortega is such a cool young woman … Winona [Ryder] looks exactly the same!
Catherine O’Hara’s Beetlejuice 2 cast-mates probably feel a tingling sensation right about now, as those raves are among the sweetest things anyone’s co-workers could say about them. But circling back for a moment, it’s kind of amazing that we’ll be seeing “Day-O (Banana Boat Song)” reprised in this new film.
Although it’s probably not going to merely be a repeat of the classic movie moment that introduced the song to a new generation of fans. Still, the greatest hits are hits for a reason, and since you’re probably already humming it anyway, let’s watch that scene together, shall we?
Keaton’s Beetlejuice 2 feelings also came up recently, as the press tour for his directorial debut Knox Goes Away naturally turned to the subject of his ghost with the most. That happiness was certainly present, even for a sequel that seems to have been an on again/off again prospect for decades.
Clearly for both Michael Keaton and Catherine O’Hara to be gushing about this sequel is a good sign that something special is on the horizon. Mysteries abound in the afterlife that is the plot to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. At this point, the best thing to keep in mind before we see this next summoning of the prankster exorcist is something that star Jenna Ortega has said in the past.
When Ortega confirmed her Beetlejuice 2 role as Winona Ryder’s daughter, she mentioned the concept of “weird, but in a different way” than that of her on-screen mother. While it’s comforting to know certain gags will still play, the weird differences of this new movie are what we should be looking forward to. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will get weird in strange, unusual and totally nutty ways when it hits theaters on September 6th.