'Beetlejuice' Cast, Then and Now

Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Tim Burton might return for sequel to 1988 film.

ByABC News
November 20, 2013, 10:04 AM
Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin, right, react in horror when they first encounter the demonic Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) in the supernatural comedy "Beetlejuice," 1988.
Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin, right, react in horror when they first encounter the demonic Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) in the supernatural comedy "Beetlejuice," 1988.
AP Photo

Nov. 20, 2013— -- intro: A sequel to the 1988 classic dark comedy "Beetlejuice" is looking more likely with reports that star Winona Ryder and director Tim Burton are in talks for "Bettlejuice 2."

Michael Keaton let it slip to TMZ earlier this month that the sequel is in the works and that he is on board to repeat the title role.

Now, 25 years later, it appears Ryder, who played goth teen Lydia Deetz, may be on board, too.

"I'm kind of sworn to secrecy," Ryder told The Daily Beast. "But it sounds like it might be happening."

Ryder said the new film is not a redo of the first, addressing concerns among diehard "Beetlejuice" fans. Instead, it takes place decades after the original.

"It's not a remake," Ryder told Daily Beast. "It's 27 years later. And I have to say, I love Lydia so much. She was such a huge part of me. I would be really interested in what she is doing 27 years later."

The 42-year-old actress said she was attracted to the project when she heard Seth Grahame-Smith, who wrote Burton's "Dark Shadows," had penned the script. But she would have passed, if not for Burton and Keaton's signing on.

"I would never go near [a sequel] if it was not Tim and Michael. Because those guys, I love," she said.

The film, which won an Oscar for Best Makeup, put the three of them on Hollywood's A-list.

"That's one of those movies where little kids stop me," Ryder told Daily Beast. "I'm so associated with it. I think it gave me my career. I was such a weird looking kid."

Click through to see what has happened to Ryder and her fellow castmates since the original "Beetlejuice."

quicklist:title: Winona Rydertext: Impressed with her film debut in "Lucas," Burton cast Ryder in "Beetlejuice." The film made her a star and she went on to play a teenage murderess in "Heathers," Johnny Depp's on (and off) screen girlfriend in "Edward Scissorhands," and a Gen Xer in "Reality Bites." She also earned two Academy Award nominations for "Little Women" and "The Age of Innocence." Starring in some of the iconic roles of the 80s and 90s, Ryder saw her career derailed by a shoplifting scandal in 2001. After lowering her profile, Ryder made what many saw as a comeback with roles in "Black Swan," "The Dilemma" and "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee."

Single and childless, Ryder doesn't appear to be leaving the spotlight anytime soon. "I remember when I was about 18, Sean Penn made a bet with me," she told Elle in 2010. "He had just directed his first movie, and he's like, 'By the time you're 30, I will bet you $500 that you'll be sick of acting.' I'm still waiting to collect, because I'm not."media: 20950644media: 12365110

quicklist:title: Michael Keatontext: Burton originally wanted Sammy Davis Jr., but producer David Geffen, who'd given Burton the script, suggested Michael Keaton, who had previously starred in the comedies "Night Shift" and "Mr. Mom." Keaton originally turned it down but later reconsidered and now considers it one of his favorite roles. The role earned Keaton worldwide acclaimed, while his film "Clean and Sober," released the same year, showed off his dramatic chops. The 62-year-old actor has bounced between drama ("Batman") and comedy ("Multiplicity") since. After appearing in a string of hits, his career slowed by 2000, but he has had notable roles in the TV miniseries "The Company" and "Toy Story 3." In 2014, he'll return to the big screen in the comedy "Birdman," opposite Naomi Watts and Zach Galifianakis. media: 20950572

quicklist:title: Alec Baldwintext: "Beetlejuice" was only Alec Baldwin's second film. After being cast as Adam Maitland, one half of the couple, haunting the house purchased by the Deetz family, Baldwin earned leading man status playing Jack Ryan in 1990's "The Hunt for Red October." He went on to star in "Glengarry Glen Ross," "The Getaway," opposite then-wife Kim Basinger, "Malice" and "The Edge." By 2001, he had shifted more to character roles, earning an Oscar nod for 2003's "The Cooler," and returned to his television roots in the sitcom "30 Rock." These days, Baldwin, 55, is known as much for his public outbursts, rants and altercations as he is for his acting.media: 20950657media: 19566165

quicklist:title: Geena Davistext: Geena Davis, who had previously starred in "Tootsie" and "The Fly," played Barbara Maitland, Adam's ghostly other half. She followed with an Academy Award-nominated performance in "The Accidental Tourist" in 1988. But it was her Oscar-nominated turn as Thelma opposite Susan Sarandon in 1991's "Thelma and Louise" for which she is perhaps best known. After appearing in a number of leading roles in the 1990s, including the "Stuart Little" franchise, Davis slowed down in the 2000s. The 57-year-old mother of three made a splash in 2005, playing the president in her short-lived TV series "Commander in Chief."media: 20950785

quicklist:title: Catherine O'Haratext: Canadian comedy veteran Catherine O'Hara was cast as Ryder's mother, Delia Deetz, in "Beetlejuice," which earned her notable roles in "Home Alone" and "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York." Later, she reunited with Burton in his "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and last year's "Frankenweeine." The 59-year-old actress is also well known for her collaborations with director Christopher Guest in his mockumentary films "Waiting for Guffman," "Best in Show," "A Mighty Wind" and "For Your Consideration."media: 20950753

quicklist:title: Jeffrey Jonestext: Character actor Jeffrey Jones was cast as Ryder's father, Charles Deetz, after appearing in "Easy Money," "Amadeus" and, most notably, as the Dean of Students in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." He then became a favorite of Burton, appearing in "Ed Wood" and "Sleepy Hollow." After steadily working through the 90s, his career was largely derailed after he pled no contest to charges of soliciting a 14-year-old boy to pose in sexually explicit photos. As part of his plea, Jones, 67, was required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life, but he was arrested in 2004 and 2010 for failing to update his registration. For his most recent arrest, Jones was sentenced to three years' probation and 250 hours of community service.media: 20950829