Could Beetlejuice 3 Happen? Here's What Tim Burton Has To Say

This post contains minor spoilers for "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice."

It took director Tim Burton more than 35 years to get around to "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," the aptly named sequel to his 1988 breakthrough hit. After all those decades, Burton finally reunited with Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O'Hara for another round of shenanigans featuring the ghost with the most. For Warner Bros., the wait was worth it: "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" was a massive hit. So does that mean "Beetlejuice 3" is in the cards?

In the lead-up to the sequel, /Film's Jacob Hall attended a press event for "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" with Burton in attendance. During a roundtable interview, the subject of a third installment in the franchise came up. Burton's immediate response to the notion was a meandering stream of consciousness, but it boils down to the possibility being very unlikely, at least in the immediate future. Burton said:

"Yeah, I mean, they talk, whatever, but if it follows the model now, I'd be making that when I'd be over 100 [years old], and it's possible, but I don't know. [laughs] With medical science these days, I don't know. But no, I mean, like I said, for me, I wasn't really personally interested — if you said it to me, I would run the other direction. This is one where it was something that caught my thing. Now, would something else hit? I don't know. Not right now, because I'm still finishing this one, basically."

"Beetlejuice" was a decent hit for Warner Bros. back in 1988, taking in nearly $75 million at the box office against a $15 million budget. More importantly, it was the hit that defined Burton as a filmmaker, one that has become immensely profitable as it gained eternal life as a late '80s classic well beyond its theatrical run. The sequel has far surpassed its predecessor. But even in IP-obsessed Hollywood, that still doesn't guarantee a follow-up.

Financially, it makes a great deal of sense for Warner Bros. to want "Beetlejuice 3" to happen. Money talks. It always does. That said, Burton isn't getting any younger. Heck, he was considering retirement before this movie came around. Keaton is also in his 70s, and he probably wouldn't be around to play the title character again in another 30 years, as Burton half-joked.

Basically, if "Beetlejuice 3" is not going to be an immediate priority for Burton creatively, it would have to be made with another filmmaker. That seems very unlikely as well, given that both of these films feel like they live or die by Burton's very unique perspective as a director. That's not easy to emulate. Plus, we can't imagine Keaton wanting to return without Burton's involvement. 

Maybe more importantly, is there even anything worth exploring in a third film? The sequel does make a reference to Lydia's real mother, who we never see on screen. At the press event, Burton was also asked about the possibility of seeing that character at some point. "We'll see," is all he had to say there, so that's one potential avenue to explore. There's also Jenna Ortega's new character, who could take the torch and run with it in a follow-up. Ortega is the reason "Beetlejuice 2" happened in the first place, after all. Otherwise, there's not an overt cliffhanger, though the end of the sequel does leave things open-ended for a potential third movie.

When Burton was asked a similar question by The Hollywood Reporter at the sequel's UK premiere, he repeated the same answer about being 100 years old when making it, but then capped off his answer with something even more pessimistic than what he told us, ultimately saying "I doubt it." 

Interestingly, though, when E! News caught up with Keaton and asked him about the potential for a third movie, the actor seemed totally on board with the concept. "Oh man, I'd do it every year. Yeah," Keaton said — although, again, one must assume his interest would be tied with Burton's involvement.

Meanwhile, producer Tommy Harper told Deadline that a sequel could still happen, but didn't commit to anything concrete. "I think with Tim's love for the title and the characters, the door is open, but we'll see what happens next," he said.

One thing is clear: Burton wasn't deliberately trying to set up another movie with "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice." He had a story he wanted to tell, he executed that story, and he didn't leave any threads dangling that demanded to be answered. If a third movie were to happen, it would be because a new story came about that needed telling. Taking all of these elements into consideration, it's hard to imagine it happening anytime soon.