Beetlejuice Beetlejuice features the return of several original characters — except for two. During a new interview, director Tim Burton revealed the reason why Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis didn’t reprise their roles for the sequel.
“I think the thing was for me I didn’t want to just tick any boxes,” Tim, 66, told PEOPLE in an interview that was published on Wednesday, August 28. “So, even though they were such an amazing integral part of the first one, I was focusing on something else.”
The filmmaker continued that the new movie — which premieres on Friday, September 6 — focuses on different generations.
“A sequel like this, it really had to do with the time,” Tim pointed out. “That was my hook into it, the three generations of mother, daughter, granddaughter. And that [would] be the nucleus of it. I couldn’t have made this personally back in 1989 or whatever.”
From ‘Beetlejuice’ to ‘Beetlejuice 2’
In theaters on September 6. pic.twitter.com/RgJfdGCsY3
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Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara reprise their original roles of Lydia Deetz and Delia Deetz, respectively, in the new film. Jenna Ortega is introduced as Lydia’s daughter, Astrid Deetz. Michael Keaton also returns as Betelgeuse.
In the 1988 movie, Geena 68, and Alec, 66, played ghosts Barbara and Adam Maitland, respectively. At the end of Beetlejuice, they agreed with the Deetzs to peacefully co-exist in the same house.
Fans of the original comedy were hoping for a cameo from Alec and Geena, but the A League of Their Own actress confirmed that she was not asked to play Barbara Maitland again. In April, Geena told Entertainment Tonight her “theory” on why the Maitlands aren’t in the sequel.
“No, I’m not. I’m not in the remake,” she noted. “Oh, you were expecting that I would be? Yeah, no, you know what? Because my theory is that ghosts don’t age. Not that I have.”
Geena also pointed out that her and Alec’s characters “were stuck the way they looked when they died forever, so it’s been a while, it’s been a minute.”
Although she’s not in the upcoming film, Geena noted in her interview that she was planning on watching the trailer.
“I heard the trailer came out and somebody said they were crying,” she said, before adding, “So, I have to see the trailer.”