Warning: Spoilers ahead for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice!OneBeetlejuice 2sequence featuring Delores served as a fun nod toThe Nightmare Before Christmas, and it’s probably as close as we will ever get to a live-action version of the 1993 movie. While Tim Burton had a very heavy hand in creatingThe Nightmare Before Christmas, serving as the writer and producer, Henry Selick directed the stop-motion classic. The title marked Burton’s sixth major feature film release afterPee-wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and twoBatmanmovies. All of these are highlights inTim Burton’s movie history, butBeetlejuiceandThe Nightmare Before Christmasare on a different level.
It took 36 years forBeetlejuice 2to be made, and based on its positive reception and box office performance, the sequel was a worthwhile endeavor for all involved. Aside from Burton coming back to direct,Beetlejuice 2featured a few returning characters, as well as a handful of newcomers.The Nightmare Before Christmas, on the other hand, continues to be a massively popular IP, but it has yet to receive any proper follow-ups outside of a novel and video game. While a remake, prequel, or sequel is still possible,Beetlejuice 2’s reference might be all we get.
Delores Stapling Herself Together Is Like Sally In The Nightmare Before Christmas
Delores Hints At What A Live-Action Sally Could Look Like
Monica Bellucci’s Delores was one ofBeetlejuice 2’s newcomers, serving as Betelgeuse’s ex-wife, who he killed hundreds of years before the events of the movie. Granted, Betelgeuse’s backstory revealed that Delores was the leader of a death cult that intended to steal his soul after poisoning him. Either way, both ended up in the afterlife in some form, with Delores escaping her confines. As her body parts were kept in different boxes,Delores' reanimation involved stapling herself back together, which was similar to Sally sewing herself back together inThe Nightmare Before Christmas.
25 Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Easter Eggs & References Explained
Beetlejuice 2 embraces nostalgia by staying true to the original movie, but the various Easter eggs and references also lean into modern day.
Sally was the creation of Dr. Finkelstein inThe Nightmare Before Christmasand was essentially a ragdoll sewn together. While she was often required to sew her limbs back on, the movie proved that her body parts were sentient when detached. That was the same case with Delores inBeetlejuice 2, proven by how her body parts came together before stapling them in place.Beetlejuice 2’s sequence presented Delores with many Sally-like qualitiesbefore turning Bellucci’s character into a dangerous threat. Still, it also gave a sense of what Sally could look like in live-action.
Why A Live-Action Nightmare Before Christmas Wouldn’t Work
There Have Been Discussions Regarding A Remake For Years
Beetlejuice 2may partially serve as a nod toNightmare Before Christmas, but discussions surrounding a real live-action remake have occurred well before the sequel. In 2019, there were rumors of a sequel or a live-action remake being considered, but there were never any official announcements from Disney. Even before that, various other follow-ups linked to the movie hit the rumor mill, but nothing came to fruition. It’s absolutely for the best becausea live-action remake ofThe Nightmare Before Christmaswould never capture the same magic as the original.
the story would lose its spooky charm and unique storytelling by trading in Nightmare Before Christmas' iconic stop-motion for live-action
Tim Burton has been adamant about not expanding the universe that brought us Jack Skellington, Sally, and Oogie Boogie. Director Henry Selick shared similar thoughts in the past but focused more on his disinterest in sequels. Still, the story would lose its spooky charm and unique storytelling by trading inNightmare Before Christmas' iconic stop-motion for live-action. It might be possible to bring character to life, as seen with Delores and Sally, but a remake would never be able to replicate the peculiar visualization ofHalloween Town and all the creatures within the movie’s settingsthat worked so well in animation.
Beetlejuice & The Nightmare Before Christmas Have Several Connections
The Two Movies Will Always Be Linked
Even if Delores’Beetlejuice 2introduction was a brief nod to Sally inThe Nightmare Before Christmas,that’s not the only time the worlds of both movies have collided. After Catherine O’Hara and Glenn Shadix appeared in 1988’sBeetlejuiceas Delia and Otho, they re-teamed with Burton forThe Nightmare Before Christmas' voice cast.O’Hara voiced Sally, while Shadix portrayed the Mayor of Halloween Townfor the 1993 movie. There have also been a few other subtle nods to the animated movie in bothBeetlejuiceentries.
Beetlejuice 2 Officially Recasts An Iconic Original Character, 36 Years Later
A major original character from the 1988 Beetlejuice movie returns in Tim Burton’s 2024 sequel, but they’re played by a different actor.
Toward the end of the originalBeetlejuice, a version of Jack Skellington’s head can be seen on the carnival get-up worn by Betelgeuse when he terrorized the Deetz family and their guests. Then, there was thestop-motion sequence inBeetlejuice 2to explain how Charles Deetz died. The inclusion of stop-motion allowed Burton to incorporate one of his trademarks, with that type of animation becoming a major part of his legacy over the years. Nods toThe Nightmare Before Christmasin future projects by those involved with the 1993 movie might be all we get, but that’s likely for the best.
