Beetlejuice Beetlejuicehas reportedly earned more than triple its budget, hitting numerous box office milestones during its theatrical run. In an interview withBoris FX,Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s editor, Jay Prychindy, reported that a large portion of the movie was not filmed as it was scripted,which included one key scene with Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice. Originally written very differently in the sequel to the cult classic, the initial iteration would have ultimately changed the dynamics of the renowned character.
Answering one of the franchise’s most anticipated queries,the sequel discusses Beetlejuice’s death, where he crosses paths with Delores (Monica Bellucci), whom he later marries.Unbeknownst to him, his bride is the leader of a soul-sucking death cult and has planned to sanction the same fate upon him. The methods of depicting these flashbacks were inspired by an Italian filmmaker, who had a large influence onTim Burton’s redemption project. However,the flashbacks were more significantly the result of the scene not working at the outset with Keaton’s initial narration.
Beetlejuice 2’s Italian Voiceover Was Added Last Minute
Beetlejuice’s Backstory Didn’t Quite Click With Keaton’s Narration
The retelling of Beetlejuice’s fatal wedding night with Delores is one of Keaton’s principal moments in the film. It’s striking at first, as the implication that Beetlejuice was Italian is not alluded to at all in the 1988 movie. According toBeetlejuice Beetlejuice’s editor, it"was a very late change,“and was initially recorded with Keaton narrating the entire scene, but"from listening to Michael do it, […] it just didn’t click.“This indicates the significance of the alteration, as it’s hard to believe the poltergeist’s original commentary wouldn’t have fit the tone of the film.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Star Pitched A Much Darker Death For Their Character
The death of a certain character in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was the actor’s idea, according to the co-writer, and the original idea was even darker.
The 1988 projectandthe returning actors inBeetlejuice Beetlejuicehistorically surprised audiences with whimsical and outlandish ideas, whether it be through a set piece or the use of practical effects; the Italian voiceover fits into this margin well. Isolating this scene from the rest of the story highlights how lengthy it is, perhaps acting as one of Keaton’s longest singular moments in the film. Despite the actor’s strong performance,the monologue may have been dangerously monotonous if it was filmed the way Burton had intended, especially when the more romantic content does not necessarily work with the film’s overall tone.
The Original Scene Didn’t Align With Beetlejuice’s Persona
An Emotional Side To Beetlejuice Is Not One That We’re Familiar With
Keaton’s character is defined by the persistently obnoxious antics that are entangled with his sleazy persona. He refers to the absurdity of his past relationship when he first broaches the subject with his staff, addressing the shock value that any woman could tie him down. A depiction of the trickster demon that’s more in touch with his emotions is detached from the version that audiences know. His humor is rooted in exaggeration, which is the fundamental premise of both of Burton’s movies.It’s important that the flashback scene recounts a narrative that is more consistent with his character — which is through embellishment.
In truth, Beetlejuice’s indifference to consequences and his general lack of empathy do not align with a man who’s deeply affected by emotional pain.
A more vulnerable version of Beetlejuice that has a hidden depth contradicts much of his personaand largely undermines the comedic value that is the core of the character. In truth, Beetlejuice’s indifference to consequences andhis general lack of empathy do not align with a man who’s deeply affected by emotional pain.This means that the unconventional and considerably humorous approach to his past allows him to remain thematically unaffected byDelores inBeetlejuice Beetlejuice.
One Idea Sparked Another In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice 2’s Italian Commentary Was Then Moved Towards The End Of The Movie
The flashback scene was then split within the film as Beetlejuice recites the story to his staff. According to Prychindy, the language dubbing of Keaton’s Beetlejuice was entirely accidental. In actuality, Keaton was speaking English during these scenes, but the performer who supplied the Italian narration is a sound designer and happened to do an excellent job at matching their voice to the movement of Keaton’s lips. So much so, thatBurton decided he wanted one extra scene in Italian towards the end of the movie, duringthe MacArthur Park dance scene.
This segment consists of Beetlejuice attempting to re-marry Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder), in which her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) summons a sandworm, and Beetlejuice reverts to Italian to emphasize his terror. Of course, there is further motivationwhy Betlegeuse’s origin story is told in Italian.The backstory sequence was intended to feel like a prologue to a Federico Fellini movie, which is also possibly why the scene is in black and white (viaVariety). Burton made a conscious decision to replicate the visual style of the Italian filmmaker’s former movies withBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, and it certainly paid off.
