WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Beetlejuice 2!I’ve always held out some hope that we might someday see a live-action adaptation of 2005’sCorpse Bride, whether that meant in a film or on Broadway, but I now feel satisfied that Tim Burton’sBeetlejuice Beetlejuicehas fulfilled that wish.Corpse Brideremains one of Burton’s most beloved movies from the past 20 years, implementing his classic horror-comedy tones, unique character designs, macabre stories, and knack for spooky musical numbers in a stop-motion animated film. The movie contains one of his most fantastical, distinctive macabre worlds, andbringing it to life felt attainable given its similarities toBeetlejuice.
Tim Burton has never remade one of his feature films in a different format; the closest he’s come to this is adapting his 1984 live-action short filmFrankenweenieinto a feature stop-motion animated movie in 2012. Burton rarely engages in a proper return to one of his former projects and stories, with the36-year delayedBeetlejuice Beetlejuicebeing the first time since 1992’sBatman Returnsthat he helmed a sequel to one of his movies. Therefore, alive-actionCorpse Bridemovie doesn’t seem to be on the horizon, and if it never happens, I’m satisfied looking atBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceas its replacement.
Beetlejuice 2 Is A Great Replacement For A Live-Action Corpse Bride Movie
Corpse Bride & Beetlejuice 2 Share Many Similaities
I’ve long been interested to see what it would look like forCorpse Brideto be translated into a live-action format, and I feel like I got this desire fulfilled byBeetlejuice 2.Corpse Brideand the originalBeetlejuicemoviealreadyshared plenty of thematic, design and style, character, and story elements, and the 2024 sequel makes these comparisons even more difficult to ignore. Though the names of characters and more specific plot details are different,Beetlejuice 2feels as close to a live-actionCorpse Bridemovie as we’ll get.
Casting A Tim Burton Live-Action Corpse Bride Movie
Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride is a stop-motion gothic classic with a wonderful voice cast, but who could portray these characters in a live-action movie?
BeetlejuiceandCorpse Brideare thetwo Tim Burton movies split between the realms of the living and the dead, with the living world being more bleak while the afterlife is colorful and lively yet macabre. Like withCorpse BridecharactersEmily and Victor,Beetlejuice Beetlejuicealso sees two “romances” with one living and one dead person. The deceased Jeremy seduces and tricks Astrid as he takes her to the afterlife realm to try to steal her life, with the long-dead Betelgeuse seeking to marry the living Lydia Deetz for the second time.
Not to mention,Beetlejuice BeetlejuiceandCorpse Brideboth include some notable song-and-dance sequences in the lands of both the living and the dead. While Tim Burton’s 2024 horror-comedy technically isn’t a musical, the dance scenes andsongs inBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceoften make it feel that way. Additionally, many of thedead characters inBeetlejuice 2’s afterlife are also given cartoonishly deep blue or green coloring that reflects the designs ofCorpse Bride’s dead figures. Some of the background characters inBeetlejuice Beetlejuicefeel like they were plucked directly out of the Land of the Dead inCorpse Bride.
What seals theBeetlejuice 2andCorpse Bridecomparisons isMonica Bellucci’s character Delores, who is quite literally the 2024 movie’s “corpse bride,”but far more sinister. After Deloresfatally poisoned Michael Keaton’s Betelgeuseon their wedding night, Betelgeuse killed Dolores by chopping her into pieces, with her ghost then donning a black wedding dress.Corpse Bride’s Emily was similarly killed by her fiancé on their wedding night and wore her wedding dress in the afterlife. Combined with the blue hue of Emily’s character design, Delores’ stitched-up appearance resembles a live-action Sally from Tim Burton’sThe Nightmare Before Christmas.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuicesatisfies almost everything I’d want from a live-actionCorpse Bridemovie
With the added victories of a fantastic box office showing and positive reviews from critics and audiences alike,Beetlejuice Beetlejuicesatisfies almost everything I’d want from a live-actionCorpse Bridemovie. Plus, it comes from Tim Burton himself, rather than another filmmaker adapting his world and vision in a way that feels even more like an imitation of his style than a genuine translation ofCorpse Brideto another format.
A Live-Action Corpse Bride Movie Would Struggle To Follow Up Beetlejuice 2
Beetlejuice 2 Set The Bar High
Given how greatBeetlejuice Beetlejuice’s character design, makeup and effects, and production design look, it’s reasonable to believe that a live-actionCorpse Bridemovie would be able to successfully replicate the movie’s appearance. However,Beetlejuice 2being a hit also sets the bar and expectations much higher for a potentialCorpse Brideremake. From reviews to box office performance to the modern yet practical handmade design of the film, successfully returning to a beloved Tim Burton property requires a special authenticity to his aesthetic in live-action while staying true to the original film.
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Beetlejuice Beetlejuicealready had very high expectations given the beloved nature of the 1988 film, and it already had the benefits of Burton back in the director’s chair withBeetlejuicecast membersWinona Ryder, Michael Keaton, and Catherine O’Hara returning. Meanwhile, anotherCorpse Bridemovie wouldn’t have these benefits. A proper remake of a movie is typically perceived under a harsher lens than a legacy sequel, especially when it’s in a different filmmaking medium and new actors are stepping into those iconic roles.
I’m Excited For More Original Tim Burton Movies After Beetlejuice 2 (Like Corpse Bride)
I’d Rather See A Brand-New Tim Burton World Come To Life
One of the most exciting revelations aboutBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceis that the movie confirmedTim Burton could successfully return to the oddball, creatively free, comically macabre, practical, handmade approach to filmmaking that defined his early career. Though it happened to be showcased in a sequel,Beetlejuice 2was a great reminder of how unique and originalTim Burton’s moviesare when he’s crafting an original story and world that he shares a deep personal connection to.
Tim Burton Officially Gets The Redemption He Deserves After $353 Million Flop 5 Years Ago
The early reviews and box office projections for Beetlejuice 2 are in, and it gives Tim Burton a welcome redemption after his last movie’s misfires.
Beetlejuice,Edward Scissorhands,Corpse Bride, andFrankenweenieare some great examples of this, and I’m excited to see his creative rejuvenation lead to original projects of similar caliber in the future. Rather than seeing a live-action remake ofCorpse Bride,I’m looking forward to the new movies Tim Burton makes that introduce new worlds with the same unique creativity that led to the 2005Corpse Brideor the 1988Beetlejuice.
Tim Burton’sWednesdayseason 2 andAttack of the 50 Foot Womando not yet have official release dates.
AfterBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, Tim Burton is already lined up to either remake or continue spinoffs to other classic horror properties. In addition to directingWednesdayseason 2, his hit spinoff ofThe Addams Family, Burton is attached to direct a remake of the 1958 sci-fi horror movieAttack of the 50 Foot Woman. As greatly as I’m anticipating these projects, I’m still more interested in the next original “Tim Burton” movie with a fantastical new world reminiscent ofBeetlejuice,Corpse Bride, andEdward Scissorhands.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Cast
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.
Corpse Bride
Directed by Mike Johnson and Tim Burton, Corpse Bride is a stop-motion fantasy-horror musical released in 2005. Set in the Victorian Era in England, a groom named Victor accidentally weds Emily, a skeletal woman, while practicing his vows alone in a forest. Whisked away to the Land of the Dead, Victor attempts to help Emily with the circumstances surrounding her fate while trying to escape his new temporary undead home.
