Hooray! This morning the internet was all abuzz with the news that Tim Burton himself had confirmed that “Beetlejuice 2” was a go. But read the fine print. It’s apparently a second-hand anonymous source that alleges Burton told them this. “The film is a go and has been approved by the Warner Bros. team, we have talked with the cast members we wanted for the film and they are all on board, this includes both Winona [Ryder] and Michael [Keaton]. We have the script in hand everything is in place all we need to do now is get ready to start filming,” the director reportedly said.
But, only a few hours later, a representative for the director denied the claim. “Tim Burton did not confirm ‘Beetlejuice 2’ as the movie is not in development. Tim’s focus is entirely on ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children’ set for a September 30, 2016 release and developing ‘Dumbo.’”
So is this PR spin or what? Warner Bros. did hire David Katzenberg and Seth Grahame-Smith to work on a sequel, and both Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton “confirmed” their participation when asked during various press rounds, but maybe it’s just too early. Tellingly, it’s a bit obvious for the rep to plug the date for Burton’s next film, and the mention of “Dumbo” suggests that’s next for active development and that “Beetlejuice 2” might not be fully cooked yet. Who knows, but maybe put the cork back in the champagne for now, at least until we see how this one pans out. Here’s Winona Ryder talking about “Beetlejuice 2” on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” from August, 2015. [via Showbiz Spy with additional denials given to Nerdist]