After first being mentioned in 2011, then having its name said aloud at least two more times since then, Beetlejuice 2 is now very close to appearing, according to reports that appeared today in both Variety and The Wrap. Of course, a follow-up has been rumored almost since the original’s release, with plans for Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian eventually scrapped after Tim Burton moved on to other projects, Winona Ryder got older, and according to the history books, the release of Point Break instilled a new and somber respect for surfing in the moviegoing public.
But whatever monster mash artist Seth Grahame-Smith devised in the script he’s been writing for the past two years seems to have finally recaptured his Dark Shadows director’s interest, as Burton is now officially in talks to helm the (presumably non-tropical) sequel. As mentioned before, both Michael Keaton and Geena Davis have, in the past, expressed interest in returning, though so far only Keaton is explicitly mentioned as likely reprising his role as the afterlife’s horniest ghost, as well as the guy who used to get all the jokes about being Burton’s pet before Johnny Depp came along. Expect some more official word soon, to be followed by more jokes like that.