Michael Keaton had a vision for how Beetlejuice would be portrayed in Beetlejuice, and he purposely made sure the character wasn't portrayed as politically correct.
The legendary actor Beetlejuice The film did not adhere to political correctness simply because it was made at a time when political correctness was in vogue for many Hollywood projects.
“In terms of the characters themselves, there wasn't a lot that needed to be updated,” he said. GQ In an interview published on August 19th, he said: “Beetlejuice was a depraved nutcase in 1988, and he remains a depraved nutcase in our enlightened age.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 14: Michael Keaton attends a special screening and Q&A event for Hulu's “DOPESICK” at the El Capitan Theatre on June 14, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Axel/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic) Getty Images
Keaton was careful to ensure that iconic characters were not given sensual makeovers or unnecessarily updated to reflect the times, and made it clear that in this particular case, a makeover was not necessary.
“He's a thing. It's more of a thing than a he or a she. He is that,” Keaton told GQ.
“I don't say 'it' to be politically correct. I just see it as more of a force than anything else. I mean, there's definitely a strong male energy there, like, a silly male energy, and I love that,” he said.
“It's not like, 'Okay, it's a new year and this device is going to work like this,' so we don't want to touch that.”
Keaton has spoken out about politics in the past, acknowledging that it's not a comfortable topic for celebrities: “I learned a long time ago that the more famous you are, the more damage you can do,” he said. The Hollywood ReporterThis comes shortly after he publicly campaigned for Joe Biden in 2020.
“I told people, you don't want me there. They'd say, 'Well, of course he brought his Hollywood friends.' You know what people forget? We were all just people from Cincinnati or Ottawa or Cleveland or somewhere,” he said at the time.
Keaton was also adamant that his screen time in Beetlejuice should not be increased, and he followed the original series closely, using its formula as a guide for directing the modern version.
“The idea was, no, you can't stuff Beetlejuice in there, that would ruin it,” Keaton said.
“I don't think the Beetlejuice character is as much of a driver of the story as he was in the first movie, where the character came in and drove the movie a little bit, and now he's part of the story,” he told GQ.
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – AUGUST 13: (From left) Jenna Ortega, Michael Keaton, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci and Tim Burton pose during a photocall for the film “Beetlejuice” at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mexico City on August 13, 2024. (Photo by Jaime Nogales/Medios y Media/Getty Images)
According to GQ, the character only appeared in a total of 17 films in the 1988 original.
Keaton found a balance with Beetlejuice's screen time, ensuring he wasn't the sole star of the show.
The Tim Burton-produced sequel will feature original cast members Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara, with Jenna Ortega and Willem Dafoe also joining the cast.(Related article: Jenna Ortega reveals the super creepy things Tim Burton keeps in his house)
” [original] It was very visually fun and stimulating. [The sequel is] “But it's really beautiful and really moving in places,” Keaton said. “I wasn't prepared for that. It's amazing,” Keaton told GQ.
