(L-R) Jeremy Kleiner, Arthur Conti, Justin Theroux, Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, Tim Burton, Monica Bellucci, Michael Keaton, Willem Dafoe, Catherine O’Hara and Seth Grahame-Smith attend a red carpet for the movie “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” during the 81st Venice International Film Festival
| Photo Credit: ANDREAS RENTZ
Tim Burton’s long-awaited sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, made a spectacular debut at the Venice Film Festival, earning over four minutes of sustained applause. Premiering 36 years after the original 1988 cult classic, the film was greeted with a warm reception, signaling a triumphant return for Burton to the genre that made him famous.
The audience at Venice rose to their feet as the film concluded, applauding for over four minutes. Cast members, including Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Michael Keaton, Willem Dafoe, and Justin Theroux, joined Burton in the balcony to acknowledge the audience. Clutching his girlfriend, Monica Bellucci, Burton led the team in taking a final bow before exiting the theater together.
Critics have widely praised Beetlejuice 2, with many lauding it as a successful return to Burton’s macabre roots. The overwhelming response from Venice suggests that Burton’s creative spark is far from extinguished.
With Beetlejuice 2 set to open in theaters on September 6, early box office projections indicate a strong debut, with expectations as high as $80 million domestically. Burton seems to have found his way back.
