IfBeetlejuice 3happens, the bio-exorcist would be finally givingTim Burtona big career first he should have gotten three decades ago withBatman. Tim Burton is one of the most respected and beloved filmmakers of his generation thanks to his very unique visual style and blend of horror with fantasy, comedy, and gothic elements. Burton has done a bit of everything in his movies: from adaptations of other works to original stories to stop-motion and even musicals, all of them with his signature visual and narrative styles that have made him stand out.
Burton made his feature directorial debut withPee-wee’s Big Adventurein 1985, buthe truly showed his signature style three years later withBeetlejuice. The movie introduced the world to the title bio-exorcist (played by Michael Keaton) and his chaotic ways to scare off the Deetzes from the home of the Maitlands.Beetlejuiceis one ofBurton’s best and most famous works, and it took it more than three decades to get a sequel – and if another movie happens,Beetlejuicewould mark a huge first in Burton’s career that should have happened with Batman.
Beetlejuice 3 Would Be Tim Burton’s First Movie Trilogy
Surprisingly, Tim Burton Doesn’t Have A Movie Trilogy Yet
Many filmmakers avoid making sequels to their movies and have different reasons for that, but Burton isn’t one of them, though he hasn’t directed many. At the time of writing,Burton has only made two sequels:Batman ReturnsandBeetlejuice Beetlejuice. His take onPlanet of the Apeswas going to get a sequel if it was a box office hit, but when asked about his interest in returning to direct the sequel, Burton said he’d rather “jump out a window”.Planet of the Apesdidn’t get a sequeland, instead, the franchise was rebooted, and the new timeline has gotten its own sequels.
However, if Burton decided to continue exploring the stories of the Deetzes and the bio-exorcist in a third movie,Beetlejuicewould be giving Burton his first movie trilogy. AlthoughPee-wee’s Big Adventuregot two standalone sequels –Big Top Pee-weeandPee-wee’s Big Holiday–, none of them were directed by Burton, so he doesn’t have a trilogy yet.
Batman 3 Was Originally Supposed To Be Tim Burton’s First Trilogy - What Happened?
Tim Burton’s Batman Trilogy Didn’t Go As Planned
The success ofBeetlejuiceallowed Burton to visit Gotham City inBatman, in 1989. Warner Bros. didn’t greenlightBatmanuntil afterBeetlejuiceproved to be a box office success, and so Burton started working on his version of Batman. Burton teamed up again with Michael Keaton, who was cast as Bruce Wayne/Batman, and thoughBatmanwasn’t exactly an origin story, it had the now-typical flashback to the deaths of Thomas and Martha Wayne. This was necessary as Burton’s version of the Joker (Jack Nicholson) had a direct connection to their deaths.
AlthoughBatman Returnsis now considered one of the best superhero movies ever made and was a box office success, it didn’t match the success ofBatman, and the movie’s darker tone was blamed for that.
Batmanwas a critical and commercial success, which led the studio to consider a sequel. Although Burton was hesitant about returning for a secondBatmanmovie, in large part due to his skepticism about sequels, he eventually agreed. TitledBatman Returns, the movie had a much darker tone thanBatmanand introduced Oswald Cobblepot/the Penguin (Danny DeVito) and Selina Kyle/Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer).Batman Returnssaw Selina becoming Catwoman after her boss, ruthless industrialist Max Schreck (Christopher Walken), tried to kill her.
Meanwhile, the Penguin blackmailed Shreck and made a deal with him so he would help Cobblepot reintegrate into Gotham’s elite. AlthoughBatman Returnsis now considered one of the best superhero movies ever made and was a box office success, it didn’t match the success ofBatman, and the movie’s darker tone was blamed for that. Although Burton considered returning for a third movie,Warner Bros. didn’t intend to continue theBatmanmovie series with himand encouraged him to work on a different project (viaTHR).
What Tim Burton’s Batman 3 Would’ve Looked Like (& Why It Didn’t Happen)
Tim Burton had many ideas for Batman 3, which would have brought together all the films in the series. Here’s what the film would have been like.
TheBatmanmovie series continued with Joel Schumacher as director ofBatman ForeverandBatman & Robin, both with different actors as Bruce Wayne (Val Kilmer and George Clooney, respectively), but they couldn’t match the success of Burton’sBatmanmovies. Burton moved on withEd Woodin 1994, and so the plans for his first movie trilogy ended.
Batman & Robinis now considered one of the worst movies ever made.
Beetlejuice Would Be Very Fitting For Tim Burton’s Only Movie Trilogy
If Tim Burton Should Have A Movie Trilogy, It Should Be Beetlejuice
As interesting as it would have been to have aBatmantrilogy by Tim Burton, especially after how greatBatman Returnswas,Beetlejuiceis more fitting for his movie trilogy. Burton managed to infuse his style into Gotham City and its characters (and his interpretation of Gotham is regarded as one of the best), but it’s still not a full-on Burton movie because it’s an adaptation of a comic book character.Beetlejuiceisn’t a story by Burton, but both movies have all the elements that make a Tim Burton movie, and it’s more unique than his take onBatman.
Beetlejuicebeing Burton’s only movie trilogy would feel more special as it’s a world that’s more his than Batman could ever be, and that also gives him more creative freedom.Beetlejuicehas also had a more consistent tone than Burton’sBatmanmovies, and given how differentBatman Returnswas fromBatman, the third movie might have also had a different tone.
Will Beetlejuice 3 Happen?
Beetlejuice’s Future Is Uncertain
At the time of writing,Beetlejuice 3hasn’t been confirmed, and Burton hasn’t expressed interest in making it.Beetlejuice Beetlejuicehad an ambiguous ending that could lead to a third movie but, at the same time, it makes for a perfect ending if there isn’t another movie.Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceendedwith Lydia having a nightmare in which Astrid gave birth to the Betelgeuse baby from earlier, but that was a dream within a dream and Lydia woke up next to Beetlejuice before waking up for real.
Only Tim Burton Could’ve Come Up With THAT New Version Of Betelgeuse
The long-awaited sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice shows off the brilliant mind of Tim Burton with a new version of Betelgeuse that’s laughably strange.
This suggests that Beetlejuice is still interested in Lydia and doing what he can to get her attention, but it could also be Lydia dealing with trauma. The success ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuicewould understandably lead to talks about a third movie, but at the time of writing, it’s unlikely Tim Burton would agree to anotherBeetlejuicemovie just because of the franchise’s financial potential.Beetlejuicecould still become Tim Burton’s only movie trilogy if he agrees to a third movieand can tell a story he’s passionate about, but the future of the franchise is currently unknown.
Source:THR.
Beetlejuice
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular “bio-exorcist”, an obnoxious spirit who specializes in driving living occupants out of homes. When Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die suddenly, they pass into the spirit realm, and must stay in their home. However, in the living world, the Deetz family purchases the house and moves in, prompting the Maitlands to enlist the help of Beetlejuice to drive them away.
