Jenna Ortega on Seeing Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice for the First Time: ‘My Soul Left My Body’

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will revisit the chaos of the original movie more than thirty years later. Following an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return to Winter River, now including Jenna Ortega as Lydia Deetz’s daughter, Astrid.

In an interview with Vanity Fair Ortega has talked about joining the cast, her reaction to seeing Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice. Ortega was in awe when she first saw Keaton on set as Betelgeuse, a film she had long been obsessed with.

Being on set for the sequel and experiencing this moment is something she hopes to remember for the rest of her life.

Every time I walked onto that set, I wanted to remember it for the rest of my life, You have Willem Dafoe in a trench coat, sliding down in a back pew, just watching everyone, {Then Keaton materialized.} I remember feeling my soul leave my body for a second, and then in between takes, he’s sitting down and drinking his tea.

Jenna Ortega | Via | Vanity Vair

In the original Beetlejuice(1988) recently deceased couple Adam and Barbara Maitland, find themselves trapped haunting their former home. When the house is sold to the eccentric Deetze family, the Maitlands try to scare them away. In desperation, they turn to Keaton’s Beetlejuice, a mischievous and unpredictable ghost, to help them remove the Deetzes from their home. Beetlejuice’s antics quickly spiral out of control, leading to chaos and danger for both the living and the dead.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice returns three decades later, after an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s Deetz’s (played by Winona Ryder) 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.

Check out the latest trailer below, the film looks to retains Tim Burton’s original humorous tone, suggesting that, 36 years later, the sequel is poised to recapture the unique charm and enduring popularity of the first film. The sequel has been a long time coming for Keaton, even longer than his most recent return to an iconic character (The Dark Knight), with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice having been in development for decades.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will be in cinemas worldwide September 6.

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