Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to Open 81st Venice Film Festival

The highly anticipated sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, directed by Tim Burton, will open the 81st Venice International Film Festival. The film stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Jenna Ortega, and Willem Dafoe.

A Spirited Opening

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will have its world premiere on Wednesday, August 28, in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema. Marking a spectacular beginning to the prestigious festival directed by Alberto Barbera, this Warner Bros. Pictures presentation will hit theatres and IMAX in North America on September 6, 2024, and internationally starting September 4, 2024.

Alberto Barbera expressed his excitement, stating, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice marks the long-awaited return of one of the most iconic characters of Tim Burton’s cinema, but also the happy confirmation of the extraordinary visionary talent and the masterly realization of one of the most fascinating auteurs of his time. The Venice Biennale is honoured and proud to host the world premiere of a work that features a surprising swing of creative imagination and driving hallucinatory rhythm.”

Tim Burton also shared his enthusiasm: “I’m very excited by this. It means a lot to me to have the world premiere of this film at the Venice Film Festival.”

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Oscar-nominated director Tim Burton and Oscar-nominated star Michael Keaton reunite for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the long-awaited sequel to Burton’s original Beetlejuice. Keaton reprises his iconic role alongside Oscar nominee Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz and two-time Emmy winner Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz. New cast members include Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s daughter Astrid, and Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe.

Following an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Lydia’s rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers a mysterious model of the town in the attic, accidentally opening a portal to the Afterlife. As trouble brews in both realms, the mischievous Beetlejuice is summoned once again.

The film is directed from a screenplay by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar, with a story by Gough, Millar, and Seth Grahame-Smith, based on characters created by Michael McDowell & Larry Wilson.

About Tim Burton

Timothy Walter Burton, born in 1958 in Burbank, California, has gained renown for his imaginative artistry and unique cinematic style. A pioneer of a dreamlike, grotesque, and beautiful film genre, Burton has reinvented Hollywood genre cinema with a distinctive vision. His iconic filmography includes Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Big Fish (2003), The Corpse Bride (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Alice in Wonderland (2010), and Dumbo (2019). He also served as Executive Producer for the hit series Wednesday. Beyond filmmaking, Burton is an accomplished artist in fine art, photography, and sculpture, embodying the spirit of Pop Surrealism.