2006’s ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ succeeded thanks to the sheer star power of its cast and a sharp script from Aline Brosh McKenna that spotlighted workplace comedy in the rarified air of a luxury fashion magazine. So what does that world look like these days? As you might expect, struggling legacy media, the rise of AI and our main characters reflecting on changed circumstances in their lives. But can it channel the charisma of the original?
With McKenna once again drawing (even more loosely this time from Lauren Weisberger’s original source novel), the screenplay has plenty of Miranda Priestly Zingers and some –– pun entirely intended –– blunt putdowns. And while the story feels rushed in places, it at least has something on its mind beyond the fashion world.
David Frankel, meanwhile, does a workmanlike job on keeping things (mostly) light and fun, and the new movie feels of a piece with the original.
Though Hathaway’s Andy can still come across a little bland, the actor’s innate charm helps keep her watchable. But we all know we’re here for Streep, Tucci and Blunt, and they certainly deliver.
Around the main foursome, the supporting cast is solid –– Rachel Bloom steals scenes as Andy’s book publisher pal, while Justin Theroux is good value as billionaire, Benji Barnes, Emily’s current beau.
Though it occasionally falls into the trap of rehashing old storylines (perhaps that’s a nod to the cycling of fashion trends) and rarely rises above the level of serviceable sequel, this second visit with Miranda, Andy and the rest still offers plenty for fans who have wanted to see these characters back on screens.
Twenty years on, Miranda (Meryl Streep), Andy (Anne Hathaway), Emily (Emily Blunt) and Nigel (Stanley Tucci) return to the fashionable streets of New York City and the sleek offices of Runway Magazine.
With David Frankel back as director and writer Aline Brosh McKenna once again working from Lauren Weisberger’s novel source, it’ll be interesting to see how the characters have moved forward in the (gulp) 20 years since the first film.
The first movie saw the ambitious yet occasionally overwhelmed Andy Sachs (Hathaway) taking on the role of junior assistant to the powerful Miranda Priestly (Streep), editor-in-chief of a high-profile fashion magazine.
The sequel follows Priestly as she navigates her career amid the decline of traditional magazine publishing and as she faces off against Blunt’s character, now a high-powered executive for a luxury group with advertising dollars that Priestly desperately needs.
From the looks of the trailer, Priestly is just as imperious as ever –– but is her attitude towards everyone just her usual shade or is she struggling with memory issues?
When will ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ be in cinemas?
Arriving on Prime Video on December 17 is the second season of ‘Fallout’ (one episode will release weekly), the wild and chaotic adaptation of the popular game title.
‘Fallout’ proved to be a hit when it premiered in April last year, and now here comes the next chapter. Can the show continue to bottle the same level of chaotic dystopia, wild dark humor and a surprising level of heart?
On the evidence of the six episodes (of eight total) provided to press to review, the answer is a mixed yes.
Showrunners Graham Wagner and Geneva Robertson-Dworet, plus the likes of creative partners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, keep up a similar level of madness as Lucy (Ella Purnell) and the Ghoul (Walton Goggins) continue their journey through the wasteland.
The show remains an entertaining watch, though the second season still suffers from some of the issues of the first –– when the narrative focus switches from the main duo (or flashbacks to the Ghoul’s past life as movie star Cooper Howard, wrapped up in the events that led to the dystopian wasteland) –– the interest level does tend to dip.
And that’s despite fun guest turns from the likes of Kumail Nanjiani and someone who has a long ling with voice work in the games that we won’t spoil here.
Visually, the show has lost none of its blend of steampunk/‘Mad Max’-esque charm, and the production values remain high.
Purnell and Goggins continue to be the standouts of the show, the joint beating heart. Some of the new communities they meet along the way certainly entertain and Kyle MacLachlan’s Hank is also great value, experimenting on the poor schlubs at the Vault-Tec building he heads to in Vegas.
On the villainous front (not that there are strict black-and-white sides in this world), Justin Theroux is enjoyably slimy as Robert House, an iconic manipulator from the game.
‘Fallout’s blend of sly satire, raucous action (the series appears to be looking to give Prime Video stablemate ‘The Boys’ a run for its money in terms of heads exploded or otherwise damaged), continues, even if some elements feel repetitive and the storyline’s interest level dips away from the main duo.
The new season picks up in the aftermath of Season One’s epic finale and take audiences along for a journey through the wasteland of the Mojave to the post-apocalyptic city of New Vegas.
Based on one of the greatest video game series of all time, ‘Fallout’ is the story of haves and have-nots in a world in which there’s almost nothing left to have. Two hundred years after the apocalypse, the gentle denizens of luxury fallout shelters are forced to return to the irradiated hellscape their ancestors left behind — and are shocked to discover an incredibly complex, gleefully weird, and highly violent universe waiting for them.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person with Walton Goggins to talk about his work on the second season of ‘Fallout’, how The Ghoul has changed since season one, what excited the actor about season 2, and if he knows Cooper Howard’s full backstory or if he likes learning about it with the audience.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Goggins, Aaron Moten, Moisés Arias, and series creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet.
MF: To begin with, how has The Ghoul changed since season one and what you were most excited about exploring with the character this season?
Walton Goggins: We pick up where we left off in season one with the Ghoul and with Cooper Howard. Season one begins on this post-apocalyptic road trip across the Mojave Desert heading to New Vegas. He’s traveling with Lucy. He’s able to see her as a human being for the first time. This is the first time he’s been around a person for any length of time and a very long time. She has a different point of view than mine. She’s an optimist. I’m a nihilist. On the other side of this, one of them will win out. Either she’ll become more like me, or I’ll become more like her. The thing that was so challenging that I found myself being resistant to was being vulnerable. It was like the inverse of what I usually get to experience. So that was interesting. You dovetail that in with Cooper Howard, and picking up with him finding out that his wife is a principal architect for the ending of the world, and him realizing that the rug was pulled out from underneath him and the world that he thought existed doesn’t exist and he is living in a world of chaos, and he has no control over it. We get to spend so much more time with Cooper this year, so you really get to see it from his point of view and how that informs The Ghoul. You understand him more predicated on Cooper’s experience.
MF: Finally, how much of Cooper Howards’ backstory do you know at this point? Did the writers tell you his entire history, or do you learn more about the character episode to episode like the audience does?
WG: No, I think it’s changing. I mean, I have a direct pipeline to obviously the writers and to Jonah, and I’ve been invited to sit at the table and to collaborate with shows and movies for a long time now, so I get that extension, that courtesy, if you will. So, we do have those conversations and what that means, what could it mean? Then we’ll have those talks and then it might be what we talked about, or it might be something radically different. But we all are trying to go in the same direction and say something because it’s through Cooper Howard that you experience the world before the bombs dropped. The Ghoul is unique in this world and that all the other factions want to have the world look like they want it to look. The Ghoul, he wants nothing from the world. He just wants to find his family. That’s all.
The second season continues the story set in the wasteland of post-nuclear America and will introduce New Vegas, a major location from the video game ‘Fallout: New Vegas’.
And on the returning side of things, two more cast members from the original movie will be back: Tracie Thoms, will reprise her part as Lily, the handbag-loving best friend of Hathaway’s Andy Sachs, and Tibor Feldman is on to once again play Irv Ravitz, the chairman of Runway’s parent company Elias-Clark.
(L to R) Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Adapted by Aline Brosh McKenna from Lauren Weisberger’s novel and directed by David Frankel, the original follows Andy Sachs (Hathaway), a recent journalism graduate who moves to New York City and lands a job as a junior assistant to Miranda Priestly (Streep), the powerful and demanding editor-in-chief of high-fashion magazine Runway, with Blunt as Emily, Priestly’s primary aide.
Andy initially struggles with the high-pressure environment and Miranda’s relentless demands but gradually adapts, gaining confidence and style. As she becomes more involved in her work, she faces personal challenges, including a strained relationship with her boyfriend, Nate (Adrian Grenier), and ethical dilemmas about the fashion industry’s values.
The movie was a hit, earning close to $125 million in the US and more than $326 million worldwide. Streep was nominated for an Oscar along with costume designer Patricia Field.
What would the new movie be about?
Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in 2006’s ‘The Devil Wears Prada .’
With the cast all back for this one, the sequel’s plot would reportedly pick up the story with Priestly still the head of Runway, but the magazine has endured the financial headwinds of contemporary publishing and is in a diminished state.
Blunt’s one-time assistant would now be an executive at a luxury brand conglomerate that advertises with Runway.
Entertainment Weekly has confirmed that Grenier won’t be back, but we do know that Branagh will be playing Miranda Priestly’s husband, which as anyone who has seen the first film knows, is not an easy gig given the hard-charging, perfectionist character’s style.
Behind the scenes, McKenna has written the new script and Frankel is once again calling the shots.
What else is happening in the ‘Devil Wears Prada’ world?
Anne Hathaway in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
In addition to the sequel, a musical adaptation with an original score by Elton John, is playing in London’s West End.
Novak’s work has been more behind the scenes of late, though he did have a role in TV series ‘Poker Face’ this year, and he’s a contributor to a documentary about comedian Mitch Hedberg.
Inspired by Jeannie Buss, who took over running the L.A. Lakers basketball organization following her father’s death (the fact that Buss is an executive producer here should be a clue –- though that’s more of a contractual title than a creative one), it sees Kate Hudson as Isla Gordon, who is thrust into the tough job of taking over running the fictional LA Waves team.
‘Running Point,’ despite its sports milieu will feel familiar to anyone who has seen a workplace comedy before, and particularly the comedic stylings of Mindy Kaling, who following her work on ‘The Office’ went on to create and star in her own show (‘The Mindy Project’) and shepherd others, including previous Netflix effort ‘Never Have I Ever.’
David Stassen, who has worked extensively with Kaling in the past, on both TV and movies, seems to be –– there’s no way to escape it –– running point here, as he’s the main showrunner. Yet their shared tone shines through; this is another mix of wacky, funny shenanigans and some emotional core elements. The question is, does that blend work?
As mentioned above, Stassen and Kaling have professional history, so too does Ike Barinholtz, who worked and appeared on ‘The Mindy Project’ and has also collaborated on other jobs with them. That helps ‘Running Point’ feel like a smoothly orchestrated comedy from a scripting point of view, instead of a creative team fighting each other over choices.
And the laughs are clear from the start –– Hudson’s Isla is a compelling comic creation, a woman fighting for her place in a male-dominated world and while that’s not the newest idea, she works well as a character. Around her, much of the supporting roles are archetypes, but each is given enough layers that they don’t feel like they show up, say silly things and step off screen again. From Gordon’s PR maven and sidekick Ali Lee (Brenda Song), who has cultural concerns as well as quippy one-liners to her brother Sandy’s (Drew Tarver) relationship crises with his boyfriend, the storylines weave around each other and work.
If there’s an issue with the scripting, at least in the early going, it’s that the show falls into a particular sitcom trap of repeating the first episode’s idea at least a couple of times, with Sandy and brothers Ness (Scott MacArthur) and Cam (Justin Theroux) conspiring to oust her, which becomes annoying. It’s one thing to restate the premise for shows that run weekly, where producers need to catch those dipping in up on the basic concept, it’s another for it to be a recurring motif in a streaming series dropping all at once.
James Ponsoldt, a movie director more known for the likes of ‘The Spectacular Now’ and ‘The Circle’ (but who has been taking more TV work including ‘Daisy Jones and the Six’ and ‘Shrinking’), handles all 10 episodes here, and keeps the tone light. The show might not be winning awards for its visual style, but that’s rarely the point in comedies, especially sitcoms.
Hudson makes for a likeable (usually –– though she’s not afraid to go to darker corners when the script calls for it), scrappy main character that you’ll root for as she deals with the various madcap issues of her co-workers and the players.
She has able support from Song, who can deliver an acid-tipped put-down with aplomb, and all three actors playing her brothers. Tarver is a nervy, entertaining watch as Sandy, while MacArthur gets the goofier side of the show as Ness, whose name rhymes with “mess” for a reason.
Theroux has less of a presence by design, since Cam’s addictions and initial car accident are the reason Isla ascends to her business throne in the first place. But what material he is given he spins perfectly, with the right level of imperiousness and stupidity.
Then there is Jackie Moreno, a loyal waves fan who works at the stadium and has more to him than first appears. He’s played with enjoyable charm by Fabrizio Guido, whose storyline also includes his lawyer cousin Ana, played by Keyla Monterroso Mejia, who has been stealing scenes in movies including ‘One of Them Days’ and ‘You’re Cordially Invited’ similarly makes an impact here.
The players, meanwhile, are smaller characters, but it’s amusing to see Chet Hanks as a tattooed weirdo superstar whose career Isla holds in the balance.
‘Running Point’ seems unlikely to charge up the charts of Greatest Sitcoms anytime soon, but it’s certainly amusing enough. Hudson is a fun central figure, and the jokes mostly come out of character –– and they’re well drawn enough that the heartfelt moments hit home without feeling cheesy.
4I7MrDHjjsuNhUEXTX7Et1
What’s the plot of ‘Running Point’?
When a scandal forces her brother to resign, Isla Gordon (Kate Hudson) is appointed president of the Los Angeles Waves, one of the most storied professional basketball franchises, and her family business.
Ambitious and often overlooked, Isla will have to prove to her skeptical brothers, the board, and the larger sports community that she was the right choice for the job.
(L to R) Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino in ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’. Photo: Touchstone Pictures.
Preview:
Lisa Kudrow says that the ‘Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion’ script is in good shape.
She thinks it’ll happen.
The new movie would serve as a follow-up to the 1997 comedy.
Among the list of movies that people have been waiting for a sequel for, ‘Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion’ ranks fairly highly for fans of the comedy starring Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino as two women who concoct a fake business success story to impress their former classmates.
3899
There has been talk of a potential sequel in the past, but now, according to Kudrow, we could be closer than ever before.
Kudrow stopped by Drew Barrymore’s eponymous talk show while doing press for her Netflix comedy thriller real estate series ‘No Good Deed’ and had a positive update for the process of getting more ‘Romy’ in our future.
Here’s what Kudrow had to say as per Deadline:
“We’re as close as we’ve ever been. There’s a script that’s really good, by Robin Schiff.”
Kudrow seemed to think it has a good chance of happening, though she did qualify her comments with “I mean, we’ll see.”
Right now, the film only really has Kudrow and Sorvino attached to reprise their roles as Romy White and Michele Weinberger, with Schiff at work on the script.
No director is involved, and the movie has had no studio or even a greenlight attached.
Still, given that it boasts a recognizable title, still-popular stars and the potential for a compelling follow-up story (where are Romy and Michele now?), there’s every reason why this one might eventually make it to our screens.
What’s the story of ‘Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion’?
(L to R) Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino in ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’. Photo: Touchstone Pictures.
The original movie stars Kudrow and Sorvino as the title characters, two dim-bulb, inseparable friends who hit the road for their ten-year high school reunion and concoct an elaborate lie about their “successful” lives in order to impress their classmates, hoping to change their fortunes after spending their school days as targets of the popular crowd.
‘Romy & Michele’ was a cult success on its original release, earning $29.2 million worldwide from a $7 million budget. It was directed by David Mirkin, and written by Schiff, who adapted his play ‘The Ladies Room’ for the film.
Schiff would go on to create a TV pilot for a prequel series called ‘Romy and Michele: In the Beginning,’ which spun the clock back to when the central duo graduated high school.
It starred Katherine Heigl as Romy and Alexandra Breckenridge as Michele, and while it was originally shot in 2002, it failed to become a series, and eventually aired as a 2005 TV movie on ABC Family.
‘Romy & Michele’: The Play
(L to R) Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino in ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’. Photo: Touchstone Pictures.
In her interview with Barrymore, Kudrow also mentioned that she appeared in the play as the characters, who were later fleshed out for the movie.
Here’s what she said:
“They had to do a backers audition for the play to see if they could even mount the play. And they went to all the [acting] teachers, ‘Who do you recommend to audition?’, so you know, I went. That was my first audition, ever, for ‘Airhead No. 2,’ Michele. We were these minor characters. We were on stage a total of seven minutes, in and out, for the whole play.”
What has Mira Sorvino said about the sequel?
(L to R) Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino in ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’. Photo: Touchstone Pictures.
Sorvino’s comments last year echoed Kudrow’s about the development.
She told People:
“[Schiff has] written multiple drafts of an amazing funny script, which checks all the boxes for all the fans. Almost every single character from the original that was important is coming back… This is all pending, them making deals, them saying yes, but they’re all in there.”
Sorvino also said that the aim was to have the sequel shooting in the second quarter of this year.
What else is Lisa Kudrow working on?
Lisa Kudrow in ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’. Photo: Touchstone Pictures.
Kudrow, one of the veteran stars as ‘Friends,’ has a few projects on the go.
In addition to ‘No Good Deed,’ she’s in the cast of comedy horror movie ‘The Parenting,’ TV series ‘Q Talks’ and TV Movie ‘Bright Futures.’
She also starred in Apple TV+ series ‘Time Bandits,’ though that has not been renewed for a second season.
When would the ‘Romy & Michele’ sequel be in theaters?
With the script still in development, there is really no information as to when the eventual movie might be released. Our best guess would be 2026 at the earliest.
(L to R) Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino in ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’. Photo: Touchstone Pictures.
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ opened huge at the US box office.
It made $ $145.4 million globally.
Elsewhere, the box office was quiet.
Audiences flocking to theaters to see Tim Burton and Michael Keaton’s return to the weird ‘Beetlejuice’ world they created in 1988 clearly invoked the ghost with the most, as the sequel ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ has wound up doing huge business at the box office.
The new movie launched in 4,575 theaters and rustled up a massive $110 million in its opening weekend.
And overseas, it debuted with $35.4 million, for a worldwide total of $145.4 million.
uLTv9GLrkBg9Jyg4AV3il3
How does ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ shape up in release terms?
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ has become the second-highest September opening –– and studio Warner Bros. will be happy, as it is slipping in between the two ‘It’ movies. The original, 2017’s ‘It’, earned $123 million, while sequel ‘It: Chapter 2’ took in $92 million.
It was the latest success story for a summer season that has seen some big hits but had been lagging some in the last couple of weeks as it closed out.
This sequel picks up the story of the Deetz family –– Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz and Catherine O’Hara as step-mom Delia, with Jenna Ortega joining as Lydia’s daughter Astrid –– suffers more trouble from “bio-exorcist” Beetlejuice (Keaton), who still has designs on Lydia.
Though it was more of a small-scale release, the original “Beetlejuice” built across several weeks became one of the highest-grossing movies of 1988 with $74.7 million and later inspired a Tony-nominated Broadway musical, which is still touring the country.
The cult appeal of that first film clearly helped drive interest in the new one, despite it arriving 36 years later.
What else happened at the box office this weekend?
While Burton’s sequel was grabbing plenty of business, only one other movie was a new release, and nothing else in the charts did particularly well.
A24 put horror thriller ‘The Front Room’ into 2,095 theaters, but it launched at 10th place with $1,663,954.
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ slipped back to second and earned $7.2 million. The superhero buddy comedy doesn’t have to worry too much, though, as that was from its seventh weekend in release, a miracle in itself given how short release windows tend to be these days.
Not forgetting the fact that it has now made $614 million domestically and $1.287 billion globally. It’s the second-biggest movie of the year and 23rd largest of all time.
Dennis Quaid-starring biopic ‘Reagan’ clung to third place, making $5.2 million, ahead of fellow holdovers ‘Alien: Romulus’ ($3.9 million) and ‘It Ends With Us,’ which took in $3.7 million.
Tim Burton directs a screenplay written by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, and together the three bring us a true love letter to not only the original film but also to it’s fans. Scene by scene, frame by frame it is like watching the inner workings of Burton’s imagination come to life. The attention to detail of every moment was like watching a perfect Burton symphony play out on the screen and is undoubtedly why his work has become almost it’s own genre of magic. While some may find few scenes odd or misplaced, I found them to be in true Burton nature completely unexpected and fun.
While the initial trailer left most fans feeling more than unsure, the second gave us a much closer look at what you can expect from the film. If you haven’t seen either, the film follows three generations of the Deetz family as they return home to Winter River following an unexpected tragedy and loss. Still haunted by Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), Lydia’s (Winona Ryder) life is turned upside down by her rebellious daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), who’s discovered the model of the town in the attic and soon the portal to the afterlife is opened again. Not only does our favorite mischievous demon return but trouble starts brewing in both realms for more than one Deetz daughter.
We find Lydia still questioning wether the living and dead can co-exist only with a new partner in tow Rory (Justin Theroux) who lets just say makes some seriously questionable choices all while trying to convince Lydia he’s not only the best choice as her manager but her possible husband. Beetlejuice is no longer searching the ad section for new work but has never quite let go of the “love of his life” Lydia and still dreams of becoming her husband. But thanks to a bit of what one could only call an origin story moment, we are introduced to a serious supernatural force who well can’t be reckoned with, Delores (Monica Bellucci), who brings a whole knew meaning to the phrase “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”
Masterfully directed by Burton, the sequel 35 years in the making comes together with an ease and excitement that only a true Beetlejuice lover could have brought to life. His love for the characters both new and old shines through each performance and shows that he was asking all the same questions the fans were, what would two of the most iconic characters in film lives look like 35 years later? Burton didn’t just revisit these characters, with the help of great story telling he gave them more depth, love and quirk letting the spirit of the original shine through, something I believe only he could do with the gravitas a sequel of this caliber needed.
The film delivers on every aspect if you’re looking for the ‘Beetlejuice’ experience, which in essence is a zany ride full of outlandish characters and a story that has as much fun with knowing what moments are tongue in cheek while allowing there to be room for great storylines full of heart. There are no other films or characters that give a breathe of life into something the way that ‘Beetlejuice’ has. From the afterlife waiting room to the dining room table the original gave us something to remember forever and it’s sequel hits the same marks.
There is without a doubt not one weak link in terms of the cast for the entire film, well unless you count the shark bite victim in the waiting room, but we’ll let you decide on that one yourselves. Michael Keaton’s performance gave viewers an even better version of Beetlejuice, if that’s at all possible, with moments that will have you in tears from laughter and seeing a new side to the character that I found a little unexpected and absolutely heartwarming.
Keaton delivers in every way and gave fans that wow factor that made us all fall in love with Beetlejuice 35 years ago. Delia (Catherine O’Hara) and Lydia’s relationship has completely changed, now that Lydia is a parent herself, giving fans of the original even more depth to two already complex women who we never thought we’d ever see work together.
The relationship between Lydia and her daughter Astrid is like watching history repeat itself in the best way possible having Jenna Ortega bring the extreme sarcasm the world fell in love with from her roll of Wednesday. It allowed Ryder to show the audience a new sense of who Lydia has become and what parenting must be like when you can talk to ghosts.The characters of the afterlife are probably the most fun to watch, especially Bob and Jeff Shrinker who fans will adore.
Willem Dafoe’s character of Wolf Jackson, a cop who was an actor when he was alive who most likely did some very B list action movies, might be a little confused if you told him he wasn’t still the star of the show. Bellucci’s Delores is completely unforgettable as the most glamorous woman on a mission to do whatever it takes to get back her man, and her performance of her character becoming fully animated should be applauded.
The stand out performance for me hands down was that of Justin Theroux as Rory. Waiving every red flag possible, it was Rory’s world and everyone else was just living in it. He may not be the most complex man, but he took himself very seriously. Theroux’s ability to take a character so out of the wheelhouse from what fans have come to expect was a thrilling experience to watch. He gave a character who most of us would probably hate this undeniable spirit that was a welcomed addition to a cast of beloved characters. ,
If what you loved about the original was its quirky and campy, without feeling silly, look at the wild world of the afterlife and its crazy characters bleeding into daily life. Or even its slight gore within a story that’s told full of heart than ‘Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice’ will be as beloved to you as was the original. With stand out performances that will bring you to tears from laughter and unexpected moments full of choices you’d never expect, the film will take you on an enjoyable albeit an insane ride full of fun. It will also give you some very very Burton moments, checking boxes of all the things that make Tim Burton spectacular.
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ receives 9.5 out of 10 stars.
uLTv9GLrkBg9Jyg4AV3il3
What is the plot of ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’?
36 years after the events of ‘Beetlejuice’, the Deetz family returns home to Winter River after Charles Deetz’s unexpected death. Lydia’s (Winona Ryder) life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened, releasing Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton).
Willem Dafoe stars as Nemo in director Vasilis Katsoupis’ ‘Inside,’ a Focus Features release. Credit: Wolfgang Ennenbach / Focus Features.
As the cameras continue to roll in the UK under the direction of Tim Burton, the sequel to 1988 cult fantasy comedy horror ‘Beetlejuice’ is adding to its cast.
So far, the movie’s ensemble has been a mix of returning cast from the original movie and some new additions as the story moves forward into the present day.
The original, as you may know, saw a couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) getting into an accident while driving home to their dream house. When they realize that A) they’re now dead and B) that their house has been sold to an extremely annoying new family (including Lydia Deetz, played by Winona Ryder, who forms a bond with them), they engage the services of a “bio-exorcist” from the Netherworld. Betelgeuse (Michael Keaton) promises to rid them of the frustrating new dwellers, but his chaotic style ends up threatening everyone.
1988’s ‘Beetlejuice’ saw the spirits of a deceased couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) harassed by an unbearable family (Jeffrey Jones as Charles Deetz, Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz and Ryder as Charles’ daughter, along with various assistants and hangers-on) that has moved into their home, and hire a malicious spirit (Keaton’s Betelgeuse, which is how his name is spelled) to drive them out.
But when Betelgeuse’s malicious chaos becomes too much, the ghostly couple team up with Lydia to try and stop him. Famously, he’s summoned by saying his name three times.
Burton enjoyed making ‘Beetlejuice’ enough that in 1990 hired Jonathan Gems to write a sequel called ‘Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian’, which would have seen the Deetz’ head to the island nation to open a resort, only to build on the burial ground of an ancient Hawaiian Kahuna. The spirit comes back from the afterlife to cause trouble, and Betelgeuse’s services are once more reluctantly required.
The idea languished in development for nearly a decade, going through different scripts and potential writers (including ‘Heathers’ Daniel Waters, who instead went to work on ‘Batman Returns’ for Burton and Kevin Smith, who turned down the idea in favor of the similarly doomed ‘Superman Lives’), before ending its limbo status in apparent failure around 1997.
Yet after years of official silence, Warner Bros. decided to try again, hiring Seth Grahame-Smith to write a script that would set the story in contemporary times with Ryder and Burton back. But even that didn’t turn into anything, despite Mike Vukadinovich re-writing the script.
The current version boasts a script from ‘Wednesday’ creators and Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.
‘Beetlejuice 2’ should be in theaters on September 6th, 2024.
Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse in 1988’s ‘Beetlejuice.’
