Winona Ryder Officially Confirms ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Is Happening With Michael Keaton Returning

For years, there have been rumors about a sequel coming for the ’80s classic, Beetlejuice, which have died out, started up again, and then died out once more. Well, the rumors are starting up again, but Winona Ryder has said that it is definitely happening, and she confirmed that Michael Keaton is coming back for the lead role.

Ryder stopped by Late Night with Seth Meyers on Monday night, and he is apparently a huge fan of the original film from 1988. With that, he asked about the sequel and if she could either confirm or deny it.

She danced around the subject for a while and didn’t really say anything concrete before finally coming right out and admitting what everyone has wanted to hear for so long.

“I think I can confirm it because Tim Burton did this interview. It was very hush-hush, top secret, ‘I don’t know what may happen, I don’t know,’ and then he was doing some press for ‘Big Eyes’ and he did an on-camera interview and he said, ‘Oh yeah, we’re doing it and Winona’s gonna be in it.’ So can I say…? I mean if he said it. But I really don’t know much more than anybody else.”

That interview she is referencing is one that took place back in December, when Tim Burton was making the movie rounds. He simply said he would definitely direct the sequel starring the “only” person that could play Beetlejuice, and that’s Michael Keaton.

When asked if there was a part for Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice 2, Burton was sure about that one, too.

“Oh yeah, yeah yeah yeah. Oh yeah, oh yeah. Yeah yeah, oh yeah.”

Burton has admitted that he does “love” the character and does “miss actually working with Michael [Keaton].” He said they were working on a script and said that “it’s probably closer than ever.”

Seth Grahame-Smith (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) and David Katzenberg (The Goldbergs) are writing that script. Beetlejuice 2 could end up being the next directorial project for Burton after he finishes with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

A Beetlejuice sequel was said to be in the works back in the 90s, and it had the title of Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. Obviously, that never came to be, and the project has been dead for quite some time now.

Remakes and sequels of many 80s classics have long been rumored, and everyone is still waiting on that sequel to The Goonies, as well.

In February of 2014, Michael Keaton had also said that he would be in for a Beetlejuice sequel if Burton was on board. Then, October, 2014, came around, and Keaton said everyone was waiting on a script.

Beetlejuice 2, or whatever the sequel is going to be called, looks as if it is officially on the way, and the cat is out of the bag thanks to Winona Ryder. Having Tim Burton say something is one thing, but for a member of the cast to say it — that’s one step closer to seeing Michael Keaton in stripes.

[Image via Warner Bros.]