Earlier this week, original Beetlejuice star Winona Ryder revealed that she has been having meetings with director Tim Burton about a sequel for decades. The movie that eventually became Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has been on Ryder’s mind for a long time apparently. So much so, that Ryder’s contract for Stranger Things included a provision that would allow her to film Beetlejuice 2 if it happened.
“At the time, Tim [Burton] and I were talking about the Beetlejuice sequel,” Ryder told Harper’s Bazaar. “There have been moments over the last 15 years where we thought it was going to happen, but that’s the thing… it had to be perfect with everybody in order for it to happen. I remember at my first meeting with the Duffer Bros. I said, ‘As long as if Beetlejuice 2 happens you’ll let me go do that.’ They agreed. Luckily it worked out. That was my one condition.”
Ryder also revealed that she wasn’t familiar with Netflix or streaming services when she signed on for Stranger Things. And now, she’s been starring in the same series for five seasons over the course of a decade.
“I am literally on my 10th year playing her,” said Ryder. “It’s an absolute first for me to play a character for that long. It was huge to say yes to just one episode… they only gave me the pilot episode. I didn’t at the time know what streaming was. It was terrifying in that regard.”
During Ryder’s print interview with Harper’s Bazar, she revealed that Lydia is now the single mother of Astrid (Wednesday’s Jenna Ortega), and that she has retained her ability to see and speak with ghosts. But one of the primary sources of tension between the mother and daughter is that Lydia can’t use her power to reach her late husband. The return of Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) will likely complicate things for the Deetz family.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will hit theaters on September 6, 2024. Stranger Things Season 5 will premiere on Netflix in 2025.
