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{{short description|1988 film by Tim Burton}}
{{about|the film|the celestial object|Betelgeuse|other uses}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| image = Beetlejuice (1988 film poster).png
| caption = Theatrical release poster by Carl Ramsey
| alt = A woman in a wedding dress, a green haired white faced man in a striped suit, and a headless man holding his head in his hands.
| director = [[Tim Burton]]
| screenplay = {{Plainlist|
* [[Michael McDowell (author)|Michael McDowell]]
* [[Warren Skaaren]]
}}
| story = {{Plainlist|
* Michael McDowell
* [[Larry Wilson (screenwriter)|Larry Wilson]]
}}
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* Michael Bender
* Larry Wilson
* Richard Hashimoto
}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|<!--per poster block-->
* [[Alec Baldwin]]
* [[Geena Davis]]
* [[Jeffrey Jones]]
* [[Catherine O'Hara]]
* [[Winona Ryder]]
* [[Michael Keaton]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Thomas E. Ackerman]]
| editing = [[Jane Kurson]]
| music = [[Danny Elfman]]
| studio = [[The Geffen Company]]
| distributor = [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]]
| released = {{Film date|1988|03|30}}
| runtime = 92 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $15 million<ref name="numbers">{{Cite The Numbers |title=Beetlejuice |id=Beetlejuice |access-date=August 8, 2024}}</ref>
| gross = $84.6 million<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.worldwideboxoffice.com/movie.cgi?title=Beetlejuice&year=1988 | title=Beetlejuice (1988) }}</ref>
}}
<!-- Per consensus on the talk page of this article, the name of the character in this article will be spelled "Betelgeuse" throughout for consistency, being well aware that the film itself is not consistent on its usage. [[Special:Permalink/1204167589#Character name spelling]] -->
'''''Beetlejuice''''' is a 1988 American [[Gothic film|gothic]] [[dark fantasy]] [[comedy horror]]<ref>{{Cite web |title='Marrying monstrosity with sublime beauty': Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the historic roots of goth |first=Emily |last=Steer |url=https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20240905-the-historic-roots-of-goth# |date=September 5, 2024 |access-date=November 5, 2024 |website=[[BBC]] |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Erickson |first=Hal |author-link=Hal Erickson (author) |title=Beetlejuice (1988) |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/beetlejuice-am4666 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719191733/http://www.allmovie.com/movie/beetlejuice-v4624/ |archive-date=July 19, 2013 |access-date=October 6, 2012 |website=Allmovie}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nero |first=Dom |title=Beetlejuice Is a Horror-Fantasy-Comedy Hybrid Above All Categorization |url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a23709652/beetlejuice-horror-movie-review/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605142007/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a23709652/beetlejuice-horror-movie-review/ |archive-date=June 5, 2020 |access-date=November 10, 2018 |website=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] |date=October 11, 2018}}</ref> film directed by [[Tim Burton]] from a screenplay by [[Michael McDowell (author)|Michael McDowell]] and [[Warren Skaaren]] based on a story by McDowell and [[Larry Wilson (screenwriter)|Larry Wilson]]. The film stars [[Michael Keaton]] as the title character, along with [[Alec Baldwin]], [[Geena Davis]], [[Jeffrey Jones]], [[Catherine O'Hara]], and [[Winona Ryder]].
The plot revolves around a recently deceased couple. As [[ghost]]s, they are not allowed to leave their house. They contact Betelgeuse,{{efn|name=spelling|The title character's name is variously spelled "Betelgeuse", "Beetle Juice", and "Beetlejuice" in the film, script, and credits. The "Beetlejuice" spelling is used throughout this article for consistency.}} a sleazy "[[wiktionary:bio-|bio]]-[[exorcist]]", to scare the house's new inhabitants away. The film prominently features music from [[Harry Belafonte]]'s albums ''[[Calypso (album)|Calypso]]'' and ''[[Jump Up Calypso]]''.
''Beetlejuice'' was released in the United States on March 30, 1988, by [[Warner Bros.]] The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $84 million on a $15 million budget. It won the [[Academy Award for Best Makeup]] and three [[Saturn Awards]]: [[Saturn Award for Best Horror Film|Best Horror Film]], [[Saturn Award for Best Make-up|Best Makeup]], and [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]] for [[Sylvia Sidney]]. The film's success spawned a [[Beetlejuice (franchise)|media franchise]], consisting of an [[Beetlejuice (TV series)|animated television series]], [[List of Beetlejuice video games|video games]], a 2018 [[Beetlejuice (musical)|stage musical]], and a sequel entitled ''[[Beetlejuice Beetlejuice]]'', which was released on September 6, 2024,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2023/film/news/beetlejuice-2-release-date-theaters-1235607767/|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|first=Rebecca|last=Rubin|title='Beetlejuice 2', Starring Michael Keaton and Jenna Ortega, to Hit Theaters in 2024|date=May 9, 2023|access-date=May 10, 2023|archive-date=May 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230510111541/https://variety.com/2023/film/news/beetlejuice-2-release-date-theaters-1235607767/|url-status=live}}</ref> with a third film currently in development.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |date=2025-04-11 |title=Warner Bros' Mike De Luca & Pam Abdy: Playing Long Game, Mixing IP Like 'Bodyguard' Revamp & Bold Originals & Animation Despite Brutal Press |url=https://deadline.com/2025/04/warner-bros-mike-de-luca-pam-abdy-courage-in-face-of-brutal-press-coverage-1236366618/ |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref>
== Plot ==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for featured film articles should be 400-700 words. -->
In Winter River, [[Connecticut]], Adam and Barbara Maitland are spending their vacation decorating their large country home that local real estate agent Jane Butterfield constantly pesters them to sell. As a hobby, Adam is building a scale model of the town in the attic. While driving home from town, the Maitlands’ car plunges off a bridge and into the river. Barbara and Adam arrive home but are unable to recall how they got there. When attempting to leave the house, Adam enters an otherworldly [[desert]]-like landscape populated by enormous sandworms. The encounter lasts mere seconds for him, but after Barbara rescues him, she claims he was gone for two hours. After discovering a ''Handbook for the Recently Deceased'' and noticing they have no reflections in a mirror, the couple realizes that they drowned in the river and are [[ghost]]s.
The house is sold to New York real estate developer Charles Deetz and his second wife Delia, a talentless sculptor. Charles' teenage [[Goth subculture|goth]] daughter, Lydia, lives with them. Under the guidance of [[interior designer]] Otho, Delia begins renovating the house with a new-wave aesthetic of [[postmodern art]].
While consulting the ''Handbook'' on how to eject the Deetzes, the Maitlands see an advertisement for 'Beetlejuice'. Following the handbook's guidelines, they travel to an otherworldly waiting room filled with other distressed souls. After navigating the afterlife's complex bureaucracy, the Maitlands return home only to realize three months have passed and the house has been completely redesigned. Their caseworker Juno arrives and discloses the Maitlands must remain in their house for 125 years before "moving on". Juno discourages them from contacting Beetlejuice, her former assistant and now a freelance 'bio-exorcist', to drive out the Deetzes. Beetlejuice can only be summoned by uttering his name three times. Juno recommends that the Maitlands haunt the Deetzes themselves.
Adam and Barbara are invisible to Charles and Delia, which thwarts their fright attempts. Lydia, however, can see them, which she attributes to her peculiar nature. The Maitlands invoke Beetlejuice and are transported into the model. Beetlejuice's crude and morbid demeanor is offensive and they exit the model. The Maitlands possess Charles, Delia, and their wealthy friends during a dinner party. Unexpectedly, their antics only amuse the group, inspiring Charles to pitch a supernatural theme park to investor Maxie Dean. The Deetzes uncover the town model in the attic, where Otho finds the Maitlands' ''Handbook''. Beetlejuice transforms into a giant snake and terrorizes the Deetzes before Barbara banishes him back to the town model.
Juno calls Barbara and Adam back to the afterlife office and berates them for releasing Beetlejuice. Meanwhile, Lydia, depressed and blaming the Maitlands for Beetlejuice's attack, writes a suicide note. Lydia discovers Beetlejuice inside the model. She almost summons him in exchange for passage to the afterlife, but the Maitlands return and stop her.
Maxie Dean arrives and demands evidence of paranormal occurrences, but the Maitlands refuse to manifest again. Otho uses the ''Handbook'' and conducts what he believes is a [[séance]]. He [[Law of contagion|summons Adam and Barbara by using their wedding clothes]], but they begin aging and decaying rapidly as Otho has mistakenly mixed the summoning spell with an exorcism; leaving them in a state of perpetual suffering.
A horrified Lydia invokes Beetlejuice, who will help if she marries him so he can remain in the mortal world. He saves the Maitlands, drives away Otho and the Deans, then prepares to wed Lydia. The Maitlands attempt to banish Beetlejuice, who teleports Adam to the town model and Barbara to the desert-land. Barbara rides back into the house on a sandworm, which devours Beetlejuice.
The Deetzes and the Maitlands agree to harmoniously live together, and the Maitlands are close to Lydia. Beetlejuice is seen sitting in the afterlife waiting room, waiting his turn to see a caseworker. When he attempts to steal a witch doctor ghost's numbered ticket, his head gets shrunk.
==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Michael Keaton]] as Beetlejuice
* [[Alec Baldwin]] as Adam Maitland
* [[Geena Davis]] as Barbara Maitland
* [[Jeffrey Jones]] as Charles Deetz
* [[Catherine O'Hara]] as Delia Deetz
* [[Winona Ryder]] as Lydia Deetz
* [[Sylvia Sidney]] as Juno
* [[Robert Goulet]] as Maxie Dean
* [[Dick Cavett]] as Bernard
* [[Glenn Shadix]] as Otho Fenlock
* [[Annie McEnroe]] as Jane Butterfield Sr.
* Simmy Bow as a janitor
* [[Maree Cheatham]] as Sarah Dean
* [[Carmen Filpi]] as a run-over man employed as a messenger in the waiting room
* [[Tony Cox (actor)|Tony Cox]] as the [[preacher]] that Beetlejuice summons for his wedding with Lydia
** [[Jack Angel]] as the voice of the preacher
* [[Susan Kellermann]] as Grace
* [[Adelle Lutz]] as Beryl
* [[Patrice Martinez]] as Miss Argentina
* Rachel Mittelman as Jane Butterfield Jr. / "Little Jane"
}}
== Production ==
=== Writing===
After the financial success of ''[[Pee-wee's Big Adventure]]'' (1985), Burton became a "[[bankable]]" director and began working on a script for ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' with [[Sam Hamm]]. While Warner Bros. was willing to pay for the script's development, it was less willing to [[green-light]] ''Batman''.<ref name="Batman">{{Cite book |last1=Salisbury |first1=Mark |title=Burton on Burton |last2=Burton |first2=Tim |publisher=[[Faber and Faber]] |year=2006 |isbn=0-571-22926-3 |page=54 |author-link2=Tim Burton}}</ref> Burton had become disheartened by the lack of imagination and originality in the scripts he had been sent, particularly ''[[Hot to Trot]]''.
Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson formed a partnership (Pecos Productions) with entertainment attorney Michael Bender, and ''Beetlejuice'' was their first original project. After developing the story, McDowell and Wilson decided they would write the first draft of the screenplay together, while Wilson would only take 'Story By' credit, as well as his 'Producer' credit.
Burton had gotten to know and worked with McDowell and Wilson (who co-wrote the script for "The Jar", an episode of ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985 TV series)|Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'' that Burton directed).<ref name="Batman" /> Burton read their first draft of ''Beetlejuice'', liked it but had other projects that kept him from becoming involved at that time.
The original script is far less comedic and much darker; the Maitlands' car crash is depicted graphically, with Barbara's arm crushed and the couple screaming for help as they slowly drown.<ref name="2nddraft">{{Cite web |last=McDowell |first=Michael |author-link=Michael McDowell (author) |title=Beetle Juice (2nd Draft) |url=http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/beetlejuice_mcdowell.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603081359/http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/beetlejuice_mcdowell.html |archive-date=June 3, 2013 |access-date=February 16, 2012 |website=Dailyscript.com}}</ref> A reference to this remains: Barbara remarks that her arm feels frozen upon returning home as a ghost.<ref>Burton, Tim (1988). ''Beetlejuice''. Warner Bros. Studios.</ref> Instead of possessing the Deetzes and forcing them to dance during dinner, the Maitlands cause a vine-patterned carpet to come to life and attack them by tangling them to their chairs.
The character of Betelgeuse—envisioned in the first draft as a winged demon who takes on the form of a short man—is also intent on killing the Deetzes rather than scaring them and wants sex from Lydia instead of marriage. In this version of the script, Betelgeuse need only be exhumed from his grave to be summoned, after which he is free to wreak havoc; he can be summoned, but not controlled, by saying his name three times and wanders the world freely, tormenting different characters in different manifestations.
In another version of the script, the film concludes with the Maitlands, Deetzes, and Otho conducting an exorcism ritual that destroys Betelgeuse, and the Maitlands transforming into miniature versions of themselves and moving into Adam's model of their home, which they refurbish to look like their house before the Deetzes moved in.
Co-author and producer Larry Wilson has talked about the reaction to the first draft by a prominent executive at [[Universal Pictures|Universal]], where Wilson was employed at the time:
{{blockquote|I won't name names here, but I worked at Universal Studios at the time. I was director of development for the director [[Walter Hill]]. I had a very good relationship with a very prominent executive at Universal. He liked me, and he liked what I was doing with Walter, and the material I was bringing in.
I gave him ''Beetlejuice'' to read, and I gave it to him on a Friday, and on Monday his assistant called me and said "well, he wants to meet with you". My initial reaction was "wow! He'd read it. He must have loved it or he wouldn't have wanted to see me so soon." But I went into his office, and he literally said, "what are you doing with your career?"
"This piece of weirdness, this is what you're going to go out into the world with? You're developing into a very good executive. You've got great taste in material. Why are you going to squander all that for this piece of shit" was basically what he was saying. It goes to show, right? Shortly after that, we sold it to the [[The Geffen Film Company|Geffen Company]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Brew |first=Simon |url=https://denofgeek.com/movies/larry-wilson/32611/larry-wilson-interview-cindy-beetlejuice-sequels-aliens |title=Larry Wilson interview: ''Cindy'', ''Beetlejuice'', sequels, ''Aliens'' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115054434/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/larry-wilson/32611/larry-wilson-interview-cindy-beetlejuice-sequels-aliens |archive-date=November 15, 2019 |website=[[Den of Geek]] |date=23 October 2014}}</ref>}}
Skaaren's rewrite shifted the film's tone, eliminating the graphic nature of the Maitlands' deaths and further developing the concept created by McDowell and Wilson that the [[Afterlife]] is a complex bureaucracy.<ref name="Skaaren">{{Cite web |last=Skaaren |first=Warren |author-link=Warren Skaaren |title=Beetle Juice |url=http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/beetlejuice_skaaren_.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618233403/http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/beetlejuice_skaaren_.html |archive-date=June 18, 2013 |access-date=February 16, 2012 |website=Dailyscript.com}}</ref> Skaaren's rewrite also added to McDowell and Wilson's depiction of the limbo that keeps Barbara and Adam trapped inside their home; in the original script, it takes the form of a massive void filled with giant clock gears that shred the fabric of time and space as they move. Skaaren had Barbara and Adam encounter different limbos every time they leave their home, including the "clock world" and the sandworm world, identified as [[Saturn]]'s moon [[Titan (moon)|Titan]]. Skaaren also introduced the ''[[leitmotif]]'' of music accompanying Barbara and Adam's ghostly hijinks, although his script specified [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] tunes instead of [[Harry Belafonte]]<ref name=Skaaren /> and was to have concluded with Lydia dancing to "[[When a Man Loves a Woman (song)|When a Man Loves a Woman]]".
Skaaren's first draft retained some of McDowell's Betelgeuse's more sinister characteristics but toned the character down to make him a troublesome pervert rather than blatantly murderous. Betelgeuse's true form was that of the Middle Eastern man, and much of his dialogue was written in [[African-American Vernacular English]]. This version concluded with the Deetzes returning to New York and leaving Lydia in the care of the Maitlands, who, with Lydia's help, transform their home's exterior into a stereotypical haunted house while returning the interior to its previous state. It also featured deleted scenes such as the real estate agent, Jane, trying to convince the Deetzes to allow her to sell the house for them (having sold it to them in the first place—Charles and Delia decline) and a revelation of how Betelgeuse had died centuries earlier (he attempted to hang himself while drunk—having been rejected by a woman—only to mess it up and die slowly by choking to death rather than quickly by snapping his neck) and wound up working for Juno before striking out on his own as a "freelance bio-exorcist".
Retrospectively, McDowell was impressed with how many people made the connection between the film's title and the star [[Betelgeuse]].<ref name="schaaf">{{Cite book |last=Schaaf |first=Fred |title=The Brightest Stars |publisher=Wiley |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-471-70410-2 |___location=Hoboken, New Jersey |pages=175–76 |chapter=Betelgeuse}}</ref>
=== Casting ===
Burton's original choice for Betelgeuse was [[Sammy Davis Jr.]] The producers also considered [[Dudley Moore]] and [[Sam Kinison]] for the role, but Geffen suggested Michael Keaton. Burton was unfamiliar with Keaton's work, but was quickly convinced.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uproxx.com/movies/beetlejuice-fun-facts/|title='Beetlejuice' Could Have Starred Sam Kinison and 'Day-O' Was Almost Cut|date=August 25, 2015|access-date=August 29, 2021|archive-date=August 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829080856/https://uproxx.com/movies/beetlejuice-fun-facts/|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Salisbury|Burton|2006| pp=55–7}} Several actresses auditioned for the role of Lydia Deetz, including [[Sarah Jessica Parker]], [[Brooke Shields]], [[Lori Loughlin]], [[Diane Lane]], [[Justine Bateman]], [[Molly Ringwald]], [[Juliette Lewis]], and [[Jennifer Connelly]].<ref name="mentalfloss">{{cite web |url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/59718/15-things-you-might-not-know-about-beetlejuice |title=15 Things You Might Not Know About Beetlejuice |work=Mental Floss |last=Puchko |first=Kristy |date=March 29, 2018 |access-date=August 26, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-date=August 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829080905/https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/59718/15-things-you-might-not-know-about-beetlejuice }}</ref> [[Alyssa Milano]] was the runner-up for the role.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2016/01/08/alyssa-milano-beetlejuice/|title=Alyssa Milano regrets losing a certain role to Winona Ryder|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=August 29, 2021|archive-date=August 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829080033/https://ew.com/article/2016/01/08/alyssa-milano-beetlejuice/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Burton cast Winona Ryder upon seeing her in ''[[Lucas (film)|Lucas]]''. [[Anjelica Huston]] was originally cast as Delia Deetz but dropped out because of illness.<ref name="mentalfloss"/> Catherine O'Hara quickly signed on, while Burton claimed it took a lot of time to convince other cast members to sign, as "they didn't know what to think of the weird script".{{sfn|Salisbury|Burton|2006| pp=58–60}} Burton also felt that O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones would make a "cute couple".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a460105/frankenweenie-catherine-ohara-qa-i-love-working-with-tim-burton/ | title=Catherine O'Hara on reuniting with Tim Burton | website=[[Digital Spy]] | date=February 22, 2013 }}</ref> Lydia Deetz was notably cast with the look and persona of the [[Goth subculture]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://vogue.sg/lydia-deetz-style-beetlejuice/|title=Lydia Deetz has always been the OG goth girl. Here's how to emulate her eclectic style|first=Azrin|last=Tan|publisher=[[Vogue Singapore]]|date=August 31, 2024|access-date=September 9, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nylon.com/articles/costume-party-beetlejuice|title=In Praise Of 'Beetlejuice,' A Goth Fashion Classic|first=Abby|last=Bender|publisher=Nylon|date=December 23, 2017|access-date=September 9, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://jennvasquez.com/2024/09/05/how-lydia-deetz-of-beetlejuice-has-influenced-the-goth-subculture/|title=How Lydia Deetz Of 'Beetlejuice' Influenced The Goth Subculture|first=Jennifer|last=Vasquez|publisher=Vamp Jenn's Corner|date=September 5, 2024|access-date=September 9, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3553460/beetlejuices-lydia-deetz-goth-girl-hero/|title=Why Lydia Deetz from 'Beetlejuice' is Forever My Goth Girl Hero|first=Danielle|last=Ryan|publisher=bloody-disgusting.com|date=April 19, 2019|access-date=September 9, 2024}}</ref>
=== Filming ===
''Beetlejuice''{{'}}s budget was $15 million, with just $1 million given over to visual effects work. Considering the scale and scope of the effects, which included [[stop motion]], replacement animation, prosthetic makeup, puppetry and [[Chroma key|blue screen]], it was always Burton's intention to make the style similar to that of the [[B movie]]s he grew up with as a child. He said that he wanted to make the effects look cheap and purposely fake-looking.{{sfn|Salisbury|Burton|2006| pp=61–6}} Burton wanted to hire [[Anton Furst]] as production designer after being impressed with his work on ''[[The Company of Wolves]]'' (1984) and ''[[Full Metal Jacket]]'' (1987), but Furst was committed to ''[[High Spirits (film)|High Spirits]]'', a choice he later regretted.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hughes |first=David |title=Comic Book Movies |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |year=2003 |isbn=0-7535-0767-6 |page=38}}</ref> He hired [[Bo Welch]], his future collaborator on ''[[Edward Scissorhands]]'' and ''[[Batman Returns]]''. The [[test screening]]s were met with positive feedback and prompted Burton to film an epilogue featuring Betelgeuse foolishly angering a witch doctor.{{sfn|Salisbury|Burton|2006| pp=64–6}} Warner Bros. disliked the title ''Beetlejuice'' and wanted to call the film ''House Ghosts''. As a joke, Burton suggested the name ''Scared Sheetless'' and was horrified when the studio actually considered using it.{{sfn|Salisbury|Burton|2006| pp=68–9}} While the setting is the fictional village of Winter River, [[Connecticut]], all outdoor scenes were filmed in East Corinth, a village in the [[New England town#Characteristics of the New England town system|town]] of [[Corinth, Vermont]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 20, 2013 |title=15 famous fictional New England locales – A&E |url=https://www.boston.com/uncategorized/noprimarytagmatch/2013/02/20/15-famous-fictional-new-england-locales/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220323195355/https://www.boston.com/uncategorized/noprimarytagmatch/2013/02/20/15-famous-fictional-new-england-locales/ |archive-date=March 23, 2022 |access-date=March 6, 2013 |website=[[Boston.com]]}}</ref> Interiors were filmed at [[The Culver Studios]] in [[Culver City, California]]. [[Principal photography]] took place from March 11 to June 11, 1987.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/55732 | title=AFI|Catalog }}</ref>
=== Music ===
{{Main|Beetlejuice (soundtrack)}}
The ''Beetlejuice'' soundtrack, first released in 1988 on LP, CD, and cassette tape, features most of the film's score, written and arranged by [[Danny Elfman]]. Geffen reissued the original 1988 soundtrack on vinyl in 2015, which was remastered and pressed to vinyl by [[Waxwork Records]] in 2019 for the film's 30th anniversary.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spacek, Nick |date=January 1, 2019 |title=Beetlejuice OST (30th anniversary) |url=https://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/beetlejuice-ost |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505200332/https://www.starburstmagazine.com/reviews/beetlejuice-ost |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |access-date=August 5, 2020 |___location=Starburst Magazine}}</ref> The soundtrack features two original recordings performed by [[Harry Belafonte]] used in the film: "[[Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)]]" and "[[Jump in the Line (Shake, Senora)]]". Two other vintage Belafonte recordings that appear in the film are absent from the soundtrack: "Man Smart, Woman Smarter" and "Sweetheart from Venezuela". The soundtrack entered the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart the week ending June 25, 1988, at No. 145, peaking two weeks later at No. 118 and spending a total of six weeks on the chart. This was after the film had already fallen out of the top 10 and before the video release in October. "Day-O" received a fair amount of airplay at the time in support of the soundtrack.
The complete score (with the Belafonte tracks included) was released in both the DVD and the Blu-ray as an isolated music track in the audio settings menu; this version of the audio track consists entirely of "clean" musical cues, uninterrupted by dialogue or sound effects.
== Reception ==
=== Box office ===
''Beetlejuice'' opened theatrically in the United States on March 30, 1988, earning $8,030,897 its opening weekend, which at the time, was an Easter weekend record. The film eventually grossed $75.1 million worldwide. ''Beetlejuice'' was a financial success,<ref name="mojo">{{Cite web |title=Beetlejuice |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1849984513/weekend/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190907154242/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=beetlejuice.htm |archive-date=September 7, 2019 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=April 1, 2024 }}</ref> recouping its $15 million budget and becoming the 10th-highest-grossing film of 1988.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Easton |first=Nina J. |author-link=Nina Easton |date=January 5, 1989 |title=Roger Rabbit' Hops to Box-Office Top; 'Coming to America' Hits 2nd |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-05-ca-271-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=October 26, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804235944/http://articles.latimes.com/1989-01-05/entertainment/ca-271_1_box-office-information |archive-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=1988 Yearly Box Office Results |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/1988/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110302123747/http://boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?yr=1988&p=.htm |archive-date=March 2, 2011 |access-date=April 3, 2008 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref>
=== Critical response ===
''Beetlejuice'' was met with a mostly positive response. Based on {{RT data|count}} reviews collected by [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Beetlejuice'' holds an {{RT data|score}} overall approval rating with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The website's critical consensus reads, "Brilliantly bizarre and overflowing with ideas, ''Beetlejuice'' offers some of Michael Keaton's most deliciously manic work—and creepy, funny fun for the whole family."<ref>{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes |title=Beetlejuice |id={{RT data|rtid|noprefix=y}} |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109103559/https://rottentomatoes.com/m/beetlejuice/ |archive-date=January 9, 2010 |access-date={{RT data|access date}} |type=m}}{{RT data|edit}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a [[weighted average]] score of 71 out of 100, based on 19 reviews.<ref>{{Cite Metacritic |title=Beetlejuice |id=beetlejuice |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160716003552/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/beetle-juice |archive-date=July 16, 2016 |access-date=April 15, 2022 |type=m}}</ref> Audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a B on a grade scale of A to F.<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title= ELEKTRA (2005) B |work= [[CinemaScore]] |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= 2018-12-20 }}</ref>
[[Pauline Kael]] called the film a "comedy classic".{{sfn|Salisbury|Burton|2006| pp=68–9}} [[Jonathan Rosenbaum]] called it a "creative mess" in a positive review in the ''[[Chicago Reader]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rosenbaum |first=Jonathan |author-link=Jonathan Rosenbaum |date=April 1, 1988 |title=Beetlejuice |work=[[Chicago Reader]] |url=https://chicagoreader.com/film/beetlejuice/ |url-status=live |access-date=April 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212091937/http://onfilm.chicagoreader.com/movies/capsules/839_BEETLEJUICE.html |archive-date=February 12, 2009}}</ref> [[Desson Howe]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' felt ''Beetlejuice'' had the "perfect" balance of bizarreness, comedy and horror.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Howe |first=Desson |author-link=Desson Thomson |date=April 1, 1988 |title=Beetle Juice |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/beetlejuicepghowe_a0b155.htm |url-status=live |access-date=April 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110103022/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/beetlejuicepghowe_a0b155.htm |archive-date=November 10, 2012}}</ref>
[[Roger Ebert]] gave the film two out of four stars, writing that he "would have been more interested if the screenplay had preserved their [Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis] sweet romanticism and cut back on the slapstick". Ebert called Keaton "unrecognizable behind pounds of makeup" and said "his scenes don't seem to fit with the other action".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=March 30, 1988 |title=Beetlejuice |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/beetlejuice-1988 |url-status=live |access-date=June 13, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190828152115/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/beetlejuice-1988 |archive-date=August 28, 2019}}</ref> On ''[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|At the Movies]]'', Ebert's colleague [[Gene Siskel]] said he could not fault the film's art direction or ambition, but called it "too much of a not very good thing" and said he was annoyed by the overbearing antics of Beetlejuice in the second half of the film. He and Ebert both compared ''Beetlejuice'' unfavorably to ''[[Ghostbusters]]'' and gave the film a "thumbs down."<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Bright Lights, Big City/The Seventh Sign/Beetlejuice/Babette's Feast |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1592036/ |series=[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|Siskel & Ebert]] |date=1988-04-02 |season=2 |number=28 |time=10:07}}</ref> [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' also gave the film a negative review, writing that the film "tries anything and everything for effect, and only occasionally manages something marginally funny" and "is about as funny as a shrunken head".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Maslin |first=Janet |author-link=Janet Maslin |date=March 30, 1988 |title=Ghosts and Extra Eyeballs |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/03/30/movies/review-film-ghosts-and-extra-eyeballs.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |page=C18 |id={{ProQuest|110568854}}}}</ref>
In his book ''Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914–2008'', Bruce G. Hallenbeck praised the film's lively script, assured direction, offbeat casting, and "delightfully off-kilter, [[Edward Gorey]]-like look", citing the explorer with the shrunken head and the animated sandworm as particularly memorable visuals.<ref>{{cite book |title=Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914–2008 |url={{google books|2AIgAef-bAcC|page=PA155|plainurl=yes}}|url-access=limited |last=Hallenbeck |first=Bruce G.|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2009 |isbn=9780786453788|pages=155–158}}</ref>
=== Accolades ===
At the [[61st Academy Awards]], ''Beetlejuice'' won the [[Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling|Best Makeup]] ([[Steve La Porte]], [[Ve Neill]], and [[Robert Short (make-up artist)|Robert Short]]),<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 61st Academy Awards |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1989/B?qt-honorees=1#block-quicktabs-honorees |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230904122818/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1989/B?qt-honorees=1#block-quicktabs-honorees |archive-date=September 4, 2023 |access-date=January 28, 2024 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]}}</ref> while the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]] nominated the film for [[BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]] and [[BAFTA Award for Best Makeup|Makeup]] at the [[42nd British Academy Film Awards]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Achievement in Special Effects: 1988 |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards-database.html?year=1988&category=Film&award=Achievement+in+Special+Effects |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531065106/http://www.bafta.org/awards-database.html?year=1988&category=Film&award=Achievement+in+Special+Effects |archive-date=May 31, 2012 |access-date=June 13, 2010 |publisher=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Make-Up Artist: 1988 |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards-database.html?year=1988&category=Film&award=Make-Up+Artist |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531065112/http://www.bafta.org/awards-database.html?year=1988&category=Film&award=Make-Up+Artist |archive-date=May 31, 2012 |access-date=June 13, 2010 |publisher=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]]}}</ref>
''Beetlejuice'' won Best Horror Film and Best Make-up at the 1988 Saturn Awards. Sidney also won the Saturn for Best Supporting Actress, and the film received five other nominations: [[Saturn Award for Best Director|Direction]] for Burton, [[Saturn Award for Best Writing|Writing]] for McDowell and Skaaren, [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] for Keaton, [[Saturn Award for Best Music|Music]] for Elfman, and [[Saturn Award for Best Special Effects|Special Effects]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Past Saturn Awards |url=https://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#film |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070404160758/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |archive-date=April 4, 2007 |access-date=June 13, 2010 |publisher=[[Saturn Awards]]}}</ref> ''Beetlejuice'' was nominated for the [[Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1989 Hugo Awards |url=https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1989-hugo-awards/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612033831/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1989-hugo-awards/ |archive-date=June 12, 2010 |access-date=June 13, 2010 |publisher=[[The Hugo Awards]]}}</ref> ''Beetlejuice'' was 88th in the [[American Film Institute]]'s list of [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs|Best Comedies]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=AFI's 100 YEARS...100 LAUGHS |url=https://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/laughs.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080615021804/http://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/laughs.aspx |archive-date=June 15, 2008 |access-date=August 18, 2008 |website=[[American Film Institute]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs |url=https://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs100.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316140859/http://afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs100.pdf |archive-date=March 16, 2013 |access-date=August 28, 2016 |publisher=[[American Film Institute]]}}</ref>
== In other media ==
{{further|Beetlejuice (franchise)}}
Beetlejuice has been adapted into various forms of media, including television, theater, video games, comics, theme park attractions, and merchandise.
=== Television ===
A spin-off [[Animated television program|animated television]] series, [[Beetlejuice (TV series)|''Beetlejuice'']], aired from 1989 to 1991. Developed by [[Tim Burton]], the series reimagined the relationship between Beetlejuice and Lydia Deetz, portraying them as friends who travel between the real world and the Neitherworld. The show introduced new characters and settings distinct from the film. The series ended on October 26, 1991, on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] and on December 6, 1991, on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Perlmutter |first=David |title=The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows |date=2018 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers |isbn=978-1-5381-0373-9 |___location=Blue Ridge Summit}}</ref>
=== Stage adaptation ===
''[[Beetlejuice the Musical]]'' is a stage adaptation featuring music and lyrics by [[Eddie Perfect]]. The production premiered at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., in 2018 before transferring to Broadway in 2019. Following an initial closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the musical reopened in 2022 at the Marquis Theatre before concluding its Broadway run in 2023. A U.S. national tour began in December 2022.
=== Sequel ===
{{main|Beetlejuice Beetlejuice}}
A sequel, ''Beetlejuice Beetlejuice'', produced by [[Brad Pitt]]'s studio [[Plan B Entertainment]] alongside Warner Bros.,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/02/beetlejuice-2-brad-pitts-plan-b-boards-sequel-in-early-development-1234962240/|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|title='Beetlejuice 2': Brad Pitt's Plan B Boards Sequel In Early Development At Warner Bros|last=Grobar|first=Matt|date=February 28, 2022|access-date=April 19, 2022|archive-date=March 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331035156/https://deadline.com/2022/02/beetlejuice-2-brad-pitts-plan-b-boards-sequel-in-early-development-1234962240/|url-status=live}}</ref> with [[Michael Keaton]], [[Winona Ryder]], and [[Catherine O'Hara]] reprising their roles, was released in theaters on September 6, 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McArdle |first=Tommy |date=February 1, 2024 |title=Tim Burton's 'Beetlejuice' Sequel Unveils Official Title and New Poster: 'The Wait Is Almost Over' |url=https://people.com/tim-burton-beetlejuice-sequel-unveils-official-title-new-poster-8557496 |access-date=February 2, 2024 |website=[[People (magazine)|People]] |language=en}}</ref>
In April 2025, a third film was confirmed to be in development.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3863919/warner-bros-confirms-new-gremlins-movie-and-beetlejuice-beetlejuice-sequel/|title=Warner Bros. Confirms New 'Gremlins' and 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' Sequel|website=[[Bloody Disgusting]]|date=April 11, 2025|first=John|last=Squires|access-date=May 31, 2025}}</ref>
=== Video games ===
Several video games based on ''Beetlejuice'' have been released. In 1991, LJN published a platformer for the Nintendo Entertainment System, developed by Rare, in which players control Beetlejuice and use scare-based abilities. A separate Game Boy title, ''Beetlejuice: Horrific Hijinx from the Neitherworld!'' (1992), also developed by Rare, was based on the animated series and featured side-scrolling gameplay. In September 2017, [[Lego Dimensions]] released :"Lego Dimensions: Beetlejuice Fun Pack" The release consisted of maps based on locations in the film, playable characters, and missions. It is not a standalone video game, but rather an expansion pack for the existing game ''Lego Dimensions''. During the second season of [[MultiVersus]], Beetlejuice is seen as a player.
=== Comics and publications ===
[[DC Comics]] published a limited comic book series from 1991 to 1992, based on ''Beetlejuice: The Animated Series''. In 2024, DC released a series of ''Beetlejuice''-themed variant covers across several of its publications.
A series of juvenile novels based on the animated television series were published by [[Aladdin Paperbacks]] in 1992. The novels were ''Beetlejuice for President'', ''Lydia's Scream Date'', ''Rock 'n' Roll Nightmare'', ''Twisted Tours'', ''Camp Fright'', and ''Trial by Ghost.''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Umland |first=Samuel J. |title=The Tim Burton Encyclopedia |date=2015 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers |isbn=978-0-8108-9201-9 |___location=Lanham}}</ref>
=== Theme park attractions ===
''[[Beetlejuice's Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue]]'' was a live stage show featured at Universal Studios theme parks. Debuting in 1992, the show featured Beetlejuice hosting musical performances alongside [[Universal Monsters]]. It closed permanently in 2016.
=== Video rental ===
On March 10, 1998, ''Beetlejuice'' became the first of more than 5.2 billion DVDs shipped by [[Netflix]], which launched as a mail-based rental business.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Netflix to close the curtains on its once-mighty DVD business that helped put Blockbuster in the grave|url=https://fortune.com/2023/04/18/netflix-dvd-business-ending/|work=Fortune|date=April 18, 2023|access-date=September 24, 2023|archive-date=May 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230529132958/https://fortune.com/2023/04/18/netflix-dvd-business-ending/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Netflix will ship its final DVDs this fall|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/netflix-ending-dvd-service/|work=digitaltrends|date=April 18, 2023|access-date=September 24, 2023|archive-date=April 19, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419115921/https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/netflix-ending-dvd-service/|url-status=live}}</ref>
== See also ==
* [[List of ghost films]]
== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Mojo title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130902090800/https://www.universalorlando.com/Shows/Universal-Studios-Florida/Beetlejuice.aspx Official site for Beetlejuice's Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue]
{{Beetlejuice}}
{{Tim Burton}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Horror Film 1972–1990}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Beetlejuice]]
[[Category:1988 films]]
[[Category:1988 black comedy films]]
[[Category:1988 comedy horror films]]
[[Category:1988 fantasy films]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:1980s ghost films]]
[[Category:American black comedy films]]
[[Category:American comedy horror films]]
[[Category:American dark fantasy films]]
[[Category:American fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:American haunted house films]]
[[Category:Films about families]]
[[Category:Films about the afterlife]]
[[Category:Films about exorcism]]
[[Category:Films adapted into plays]]
[[Category:Films adapted into television shows]]
[[Category:Films directed by Tim Burton]]
[[Category:Films scored by Danny Elfman]]
[[Category:Films set in Connecticut]]
[[Category:Films set in country houses]]
[[Category:Films shot in Vermont]]
[[Category:Films that won the Academy Award for Best Makeup]]
[[Category:Films using stop-motion animation]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Larry Wilson (screenwriter)]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Warren Skaaren]]
[[Category:The Geffen Film Company films]]
[[Category:Titan (moon) in film]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. films]]
[[Category:Films about weddings]]
[[Category:English-language comedy horror films]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy comedy films]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]
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