Tim Burton has made his mark on the spooky Halloween classic, perhaps no better encapsulated by his 1988 gothic classic Beetlejuiceand its follow-up nearly four decades later, 2024’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. But will we get a chance to say the troublesome poltergeist’s name a third time? Probably not, according to the director.

“It took 35 years to make the second one, so by that time I’ll be 105,” Burton told The Hollywood Reporter when asked about a potential Beetlejuice 3. Burton gave the interview alongside his Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star Jenna Ortega, who also stars in Burton‘s widely acclaimed Netflix series Wednesday. But while Wedensday just got picked up for a third season, fans shouldn’t expect a third installment of Beetlejuice, with Burton adding:

“I know those odds are not good. I really, really enjoyed making this one, and [Warner Bros.] didn’t even really want to do it. We did it the same way I did the first one, with the actors doing improv. It was beautiful to see some of the old cast and have Jenna. But it’s like trying to re-create the Wednesday dance scene. I love the characters, but I don’t necessarily see it.”

Never Say Never?

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice starred Ortega as Astrid, the daughter of Winona Ryder’s character Lydia from the original film. Lyida is forced to re-summon the mad poltergeist Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) decades after trapping him when Astrid inadvertently becomes stuck in the Netherworld. Together, Beetlejuice and Lydia must rescue Astrid while also trying to prevent Beetlejuice’s true plan: once again forcing Lydia to marry him. At the end of the film, Astrid gives birth to a deformed Beetlejuice baby during a bad dream, and while Burton makes it seem unlikely that a third movie is coming, Ortega does have some ideas:

“Maybe Astrid dies and goes to heaven instead [of the films’ Netherworld]. They should just take Baby Beetlejuice on tour and send him to Hawaii.”

However, Ortega also admitted that she’d never want to do another Beetlejuice film if Burton wasn’t involved. “Oh, I would never. I also think anybody would be really wrong to get behind that project,” Ortega said. “Without him involved, what is it? It is what it is because of Tim. There’s no other film you can compare Beetlejuice to. So why would you do that? That would be a tad disrespectful.” So while fans of the poltergeist can dream, it seems more likely that they will have to make do with just the two films, at least for the immediate future.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is streaming now.

via Collider