For the longest time, it seems like "Beetlejuice 2" will never happen, but one of the original movie's lead stars Winona Ryder, who played Lydia Deetz has confirmed during an appearance at the show "Late Night With Seth Meyers" that the sequel is in the works already.
"I think I can confirm it," she said. "It was very hush-hush top secret... but then (director) Tim Burton was doing some press for 'Big Eyes' and and he did an on-camera interview and he said 'Oh yeah, we're doing it, and Winona's going to be in it.' If he said it, I can say it."
Ryder was only 17 years old when she took on the role of Deetz, the daughter of a family haunted in their new home by a ghost named Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) in the 1988 fantasy film. The movie was a success and even spawned an animated television series, which Burton also directed.
Decades after the movie, people are still talking about it, and in 2013, Burton began talking to Warner Bros to direct the sequel, and the next year, Keaton revealed that he was e-mailing with Burton regarding the sequel. "If he's in, it's going to be hard not to be in," he said.
Burton began writing the script in December 2014 and he was adamant about Keaton reprising his role. "There's only one Beetlejuice, and that's Michael," said Burton. "There is a script, and I would love to work with him again. I think there is now a better chance than ever... I miss that character."
It seems like only Keaton and Ryder will be reprising their roles, and they might start filming before 2015 ends.
"Beetlejuice" was both a critical and commercial success, having grossed around $73.7 million out of a budget of only $15 million. It even won the Academy Award for Best Make-up, and also nabbed three Saturn Awards: Best Horror Film, Best Make-up, and Best Supporting Actress for Sylvia Sidney. It was Sidney's final award before she passed away in 1999.
Other stars of the film include Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones, and Catherine O'Hara.
"Beetlejuice" has also inspired some pretty great video games and theme park attractions, and he currently has shows at Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Florida, and Universal Studios Japan. At the Florida theme park, he is the main star of Beetlejuice's Rock and Roll Graveyard Revue.