‘Beetlejuice’ Cast Gets Extended Standing Ovation at Venice Film Festival

The highly anticipated sequel to Beetlejuice received an enthusiastic response at the Venice Film Festival, where it was met with several minutes of standing ovation from the audience.

Notable cast members, including Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, and Catherine O’Hara, joined director Tim Burton on the red carpet to celebrate the film’s premiere. The beloved filmmaker is once again diving into the quirky world he created in 1988, this time focusing on a fresh narrative. The new story unfolds after a sudden family tragedy, prompting three generations of the Deetz family to return home to Winter River. Lydia finds her life drastically altered when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers a mysterious model of the town in the attic, inadvertently unlocking a portal to the Afterlife.

In true fashion, the cast made a memorable impression on the red carpet in Italy, with some showing their characters’ flair. Jenna Ortega, known for her past roles at Disney, arrived in a stunning red puffy dress that paid tribute to Winona Ryder’s character from the original film, where Lydia was about to marry Beetlejuice himself. Meanwhile, Winona channeled her character’s spirit with a punk-inspired look, featuring a voluminous skirt paired with a tailored suit jacket.

The sequel has stirred considerable buzz in the entertainment community, echoing the initial excitement that surrounded the original film. The 1988 movie debuted to $8 million at the box office, establishing Tim Burton as a significant presence in the film industry. Now, after 36 years, he reflects on how the original film has shaped his career and what resonates with him in its sequel.

In an interview, Burton expressed his sentiments about revisiting this beloved project. He remarked, “To revisit it now was nice because Lydia was a character I always felt strongly about. What happens to people 35 years later? Where do they go? What’s their journey? And what happened to the Deetz family? This feeling about it was quite simple for me and emotional. That became the anchor of where it goes from there. When you go from being a cool teenager to an adult, what journey do you take?”

He also reflected on the uniqueness of collaborating with familiar faces, saying, “Working with all these people I love—Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, and Winona Ryder—was just very strange but beautiful.”

Fans of the franchise can look forward to seeing the continuation of this funny and offbeat tale when it hits theaters on Friday, September 6.