Monica Bellucci has been cast in Beetlejuice 2 as none other than the spouse of the titular wisecracking ghost Beetlejuice.
As announced by The Hollywood Reporter, Bellucci will play the wife of Beetlejuice in Tim Burton's sequel to his cult classic 1988 horror-comedy. Bellucci is a former model known for roles in films including The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions and the James Bond entry Spectre. Her acting career also includes several high-profile European projects. No name has been given for Bellucci's character, and it's unclear if she has any connection to other versions of Beetlejuice.
Bellucci joins a cast that includes Michael Keaton reprising his iconic lead role, Catherine O'Hara, Justin Theroux and Wednesday's Jenna Ortega. Beetlejuice 2 was recently announced to have the release date of Sept. 6, 2024. The movie is based on a script by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, creators of Wednesday, who will reunite with the Netflix series' star Ortega in Beetlejuice 2 as she portrays the daughter of a major character from the original film, Lydia Deetz. Winona Ryder will reprise the role of Lydia, now a mother. Burton has also worked with Ortega on Wednesday, the Addams Family spinoff show which earned the young actor widespread recognition as well as an association with gallows humor and gothic fashion.
Beetlejuice, the Ghost With the Most
The original Beetlejuice was a smash hit, spawning a stage show and an animated series, but fans have been waiting for decades for a canon sequel to be made. Burton dropped hints last year that the time for Beetlejuice 2 might be drawing near, saying, "I am working on ideas and things but it’s all very early days. We’ll see how it goes. How’s that for a none answer." In April 2023, the film was officially announced.
Beetlejuice focused on Keaton's flamboyant and obnoxious ghost character, who is hired by two other ghosts who are unhappy with the family who has moved into the house they inhabit in their afterlife. So far, details on the plot of the sequel have been kept under wraps, although the number of key cast members returning suggests that it will pick up some time after the first fim.
Beetlejuice 2 will be haunting movie theaters beginning on Sept. 6, 2024.