UPDATE 1:09 p.m.: Sadly, the news of Beetlejuice's glorious return to the big screen have been profoundly exaggerated. In a statement to MTV News, Tim Burton's rep says he never gave a statement to Showbiz Spy. Additionally, Burton confirms he is quite busy bringing Dumbo to life for Disney and that Beetlejuice 2 is "not in development."
Bummer.
See original story below.
Beetlejuice 2, a.k.a. the only sequel that ever really mattered, has once again been confirmed by someone very close to the production. However, as this latest confirmation comes straight from the director’s mouth, this means netherworld enthusiasts everywhere finally have a solid reason to get excited about the return of Michael Keaton to his 1988 stomping grounds.
"The film is a go and has been approved by the Warner Bros. team," director Tim Burton tells Showbiz Spy. "We have talked with the cast members we wanted for the film and they are all on board, this includes both Winona and Michael." According to Burton, the script is "in hand" and everyone is ready to start filming.
Winona Ryder appeared to confirm the sequel in August of last year, telling Seth Meyers that Burton had been keeping the project "very hush-hush top secret" but she felt she could probably confirm it. "I really don't know much more than anybody else," Ryder added, revealing that kids still—nearly three decades after the original film's release—still approach her about how much they loved the Burton classic.
Though no official release date or plot details have been revealed by anyone involved with the production, it's easy to guess that Warner Bros. is very into the idea of getting this underway quickly to capitalize on Michael Keaton's recent successes with the fantastic Birdman and this year's Best Picture winner Spotlight.
And now we celebrate this news with a fitting musical number: