Left: Beetlejuice poster from 1988 Right: Still from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice with Catherine O'Hara, Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, and Justin Theroux

Beetlejuice cast then and now — Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara look incredible as they return to the franchise

Tim Burton is bringing together a star-studded ensemble cast for the Beetlejuice sequel

US Writer
May 28, 2024

Beetlejuice may be one of the most beloved films of the late eighties, but it also sparked the careers of many of its stars. Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Geena Davis, Catherine O'Hara and Alec Baldwin all went on to have incredible success after working with Tim Burton

In fact many of them reunited with the director for further projects - and are set to return again for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice - the highly anticipated sequel. Keaton, Ryder and O'Hara will join Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci and more in the sequel.

Here's how the cast has changed over the years.

1/14

Michael Keaton — then

When Michael Keaton first graced screens as the wily Betelgeuse (pronounced Beetlejuice), he captivated audiences. It would only be a year later that he would reunite with Tim Burton to release his best-known work as Batman.

2/14

Michael Keaton — now

The Batman star is returning to the role of Betelgeuse - and with the over the top makeup, it doesn't look like any time has passed. But since his roles in Beetlejuice and Batman, Michael has featured in the likes of Jackie Brown, Much Ado About Nothing, and Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).

3/14

Winona Ryder — then

When Winona Ryder took on the role of Lydia Deetz, she likely didn't know it would catapult her into stardom, as she became one of the key it girls of the late eighties and early nineties. A year later, she would receive acclaim for her role in Heathers. She'd then reunite with Burton to create Edward Scissorhands, across from then-boyfriend Johnny Depp.

4/14

Winona Ryder — now

Years after the release of Beetlejuice, Winona Ryder is a two-time Oscar nominee who has moved well beyond her 2001 shoplifting arrest. Since 2016, she's found mainstream success in Stranger Things through the role of mom Joyce Byers.

5/14

Catherine O'Hara — then

One of the finest comic actresses of her generation, Catherine O'Hara would go on to star in the Home Alone franchise, and worked with Tim Burton again in The Nightmare Before Christmas.

6/14

Catherine O'Hara — now

As she returns as Delia Deetz, Catherine has kept busy as she starred in comedy series Schitt's Creek and has voiced a number of characters in The Addams Family, When Marnie Was There, and Where The Wild Things Are.

7/14

Alec Baldwin — then

Playing the role of Adam Maitland, Alec Baldwin can count Beetlejuice as one of the films that helped launch his career. He'd go on to play a supporting role in Working Girl and star in The Hunt for Red October.

8/14

© Mark Sagliocco

Alec Baldwin — now

He may not be returning to the Beetlejuice franchise, but Alec Baldwin has certainly had a colorful career. With many Mission Impossible films under his belt and critical acclaim for his role in 30 Rock and characterization of Donald Trump for SNL, the star has kept busy over the years. 

He is currently facing charges for involuntary manslaughter after he discharged a revolver used as a prop on the set of Rust, which killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

9/14

Geena Davis — then

The role of Barbara Maitland brought Geena Davis to prominence, and that same year she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in The Accidental Tourist. She would go on to star in Thelma & Louise, and A League of Their Own.

10/14

© Brian To

Geena Davis — now

Following a career hiatus in the late nineties and intermittent work throughout the noughties, the Oscar winner founded the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media in 2010. While she won't be returning for Beetlejuice, she's clearly very busy within her own right.

11/14

Jenna Ortega — Astrid Deetz

Arguably, Jenna Ortega is one of Tim Burton's rising stars as she starred as Wednesday Addams in his Addams Family adaptation. She will be playing Lydia Deetz' daughter Astrid in the new film.

12/14

Monica Bellucci — Delores

The Italian star is set to join Burton's ensemble cast as Delores, Betelgeuse's ex-wife. Monica and Tim have been dating since October 2022.

13/14

Willem Dafoe — Wolf Jackson

Known for taking on unorthodox films, such as The Lighthouse, Poor Things, and The Grand Budapest Hotel, it may surprise fans that this is Willem Dafoe's first Tim Burton film. He will reportedly play a ghost detective who was a B movie action star when alive.

14/14

Justin Theroux — Rory

With previous roles in American Psycho, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and Zoolander, Justin Theroux will play Rory in the Beetlejuice sequel.

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