Michael Keaton Interviews Beetlejuice in Hot Ones Spoof

Ahead of the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice next week, Warner Bros. has staged an entertaining interview between the franchise star Michael Keaton and his iconic character, Beetlejuice. The pair have a brief chat over some ribs, with Beetlejuice trying some spicy sauce in homage to the popular show, Hot Ones. In a clever twist, they call it “Not Ones,” featuring the shrunken head of the hunter from the end of the original Beetlejuice as the logo. Interestingly, Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith had previously done a “Not Ones” segment with vegan wings when Hot Ones couldn’t accommodate them in time for promoting Jay & Silent Bob Reboot.

One of the most amusing parts is how quickly Keaton becomes exasperated with Beetlejuice and gives up, achieving a quicker surrender than Hot Ones has ever managed.

The interview coincides with a recent Hot Ones segment featuring Conan O’Brien, widely regarded as one of the best videos on the internet.

In the new “Not Ones” video, Keaton seamlessly switches between playing himself and Beetlejuice, who is predictably quirky and gross in such a scenario. A fan humorously commented on the video, citing Multiplicity, another Keaton film where his character clones himself, adding a meta twist to this already meta promotional stunt.

Keaton’s reflections on the franchise add depth to this amusing interview. He shares in a recent interview, “There’s been so much merchandising of it, I had to drop back to where it started. I had to go, ‘What was my unusual imagination even thinking about when I was developing it in the first place?’ As opposed to seeing a coffee mug or a golf-club cover [adorned with Beetlejuice’s face].” Keaton admits that the character’s ubiquity in popular culture created its own set of challenges. “That was really weird,” he confessed. “To be honest with you – I’m being very frank – it was off-putting, to look and go, ‘I don’t want to look like all these little things, forget that – what was the thing that started this?'”

Here’s the official synopsis for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice:

“Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic, and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.”

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is set to hit theaters on September 6th.