Beetlejuice 2 Cast & Returning Character Guide

Beetlejuice 2 is the long-awaited sequel to Tim Burton’s classic horror comedy, with an exciting cast playing both new and returning characters. Coming 36 years after the 1988 release of the original Beetlejuice, the follow-up revisits the Deetz family as their lives are again turned upside down by the titular “ghost with the most.” While a few of the original actors are back for Beetlejuice 2‘s story, the sequel also keeps things fresh by introducing some recognizable additions to the ensemble. Furthermore, there are still a few missing original Beetlejuice characters who could make surprise appearances in the sequel.

A second Beetlejuice movie has been in the works for a long time, with a rumored sequel project titled Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian marking the first attempt all the way back in 1990. Finally coming to fruition after several decades, Beetlejuice 2 brings a few members of the Deetz family tree back to Winter River after the death of patriarch Charles Deetz, with a series of events leading Lydia to reluctantly summon the titular poltergeist once more. Though certain original Beetlejuice characters like Adam, Barbara, Otho, and Juno won’t be back for the 2024 sequel, the returning and new cast members of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice provide a fitting return to Tim Burton’s spooky world.

Michael Keaton As Betelgeuse

Date Of Birth: September 5, 1951

Michael Keaton was born in Kennedy Township, Pennsylvania, and broke big in 1982’s Night Shift as Bill Blazejowski. Keaton has since adopted countless iconic roles throughout his extensive Hollywood career, starting out in comedic projects such as Mr. Mom and Beetlejuice before moving into more dramatic roles. He played Bruce Wayne in Tim Burton’s two Batman movies, Ray Nicolette in both Jackie Brown and Out of Sight, and the titular snowman in Jack Frost before receiving his first Oscar nomination for playing a washed-up actor in the Best Picture-winning Birdman.

Keaton has continued his critically acclaimed streak in such projects as The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Founder, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Spotlight, which also won the Best Picture Oscar. Keaton notably brought his critical success to TV through the miniseries Dopesick, which garnered him an Emmy win. After Beetlejuice 2, Keaton is set to star in the movie Goodrich as Andy Goodrich.

In the original Beetlejuice movie, Betelgeuse (pronounced like Beetlejuice is spelled) is a supernatural “bio-exorcist” who assists a recently-deceased couple in haunting the new owners of their old home in the realm of the living. He’s notorious for his rowdy and immature personality, which often clashes with those he’s trying to work alongside. The “ghost with the most” is over 700 years old by Beetlejuice 2‘s timeline, having lived through the Black Plague while also marrying Delores during this time.

Despite being introduced as an ally to the film’s protagonists, he causes more problems than he solves when he demands his summoner’s hand in marriage as payment for his assistance. It’s a darkly comedic role, and the original remains one of Michael Keaton’s best movies decades later. Keaton now reprises the part leading the cast of Beetlejuice 2 as his character is summoned once again.

Winona Ryder As Lydia Deetz

Date Of Birth: October 29, 1971

Among the returning cast in Beetlejuice 2, Lydia is again played by Minnesota native Winona Ryder, who has collaborated with Tim Burton seveal times. After breaking out in the first Beetlejuice, she played the romantic interest Kim in Burton’s Edward Scissorhands before reuniting with the filmmaker to voice Elsa Van Helsing in 2012’s Frankenweenie. Ryder earned Oscar nominations for portraying Jo March in the 1994 adaptation of Little Women and May Welland in Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of The Age of Innocence. She is also known for playing Susanna in Girl Interrupted, Veronica Sawyer in Heathers, and Joyce Byers in Stranger Things.

In the original Beetlejuice, Lydia was the teenage daughter of the Deetz family, who moved into a recently vacated home that turned out to be haunted by the ghosts of its previous occupants. Unlike her parents, Lydia had the ability to see these spirits and quickly befriended them despite their attempts to scare the family away from their property. Back then, Lydia was known for her gothic style and general distaste for the rest of the world, with Beetlejuice 2 now seeing her grown up with a teenage daughter of her own. However, Lydia hasn’t lost her fashion style over the decades since last battling Michael Keaton’s character.

Ryder earned Oscar nominations for portraying Jo March in the 1994 adaptation of
Little Women
and May Welland in Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of
The Age of Innocence
.

Catherine O’Hara As Delia Deetz

Date Of Birth: March 4, 1954

Catherine O’Hara was born in Toronto, Canada, and broke out in 1988’s Beetlejuice after gaining recognition for being in the original cast of Second City Television in the 1970s. She’s perhaps best known for playing Kevin’s mother in the Home Alone movies and Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek, winning an Emmy for the latter. O’Hara has also famously collaborated with filmmaker Christopher Guest for such roles as Cookie Fleck in Best in Show, Mickey Crabbe in A Mighty Wind, and Sheila Albertson in Waiting for Guffman. She also voiced characters in Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie and The Nightmare Before Christmas.

O’Hara is among the returning cast of Beetlejuice 2, reprising her role as Delia Deetz, the matriarch of the family that finds itself haunted in the original. Delia was introduced in the first movie as a self-proclaimed sculptor looking to transform the house into a postmodern style, which sparks much of the conflict with the deceased protagonists. In Beetlejuice 2, she returns to Winter River alongside her stepdaughter Lydia and granddaughter Astrid after the unexpected death of Charles Deetz, her husband from the 1988 movie.

Jenna Ortega As Astrid Deetz

Date Of Birth: September 27, 2002

Born in Palm Desert, California, Jenna Ortega is one of the major new additions to the cast for Beetlejuice 2. Ortega broke out as the star of the Disney series Stuck in the Middle but is now best known as Tara Carpenter in the Scream sequels, Lorraine in the horror film X, and Wednesday Addams in the Netflix series Wednesday, which was co-created by Beetlejuice 2 writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar and helmed by its director, Tim Burton. She also had notable roles in more dramatic movies and shows like Miller’s Girl, Finestkind, The Fallout, and Netflix’s You.

In Beetlejuice 2, Jenna Ortega stars as Astrid, the teenage daughter of Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz. In the sequel, Astrid stumbles upon Adam and Barbara Maitland’s town model in the attic and happens to open a portal to the afterlife, leading to trouble in both realms. Astrid ends up getting stuck in the world of Tim Burton’s spooky afterlife realm that leads her to encounter numerous ghosts and threats, with Jenna Ortega even having a scene with sandworms in Beetlejuice 2.

Ortega broke out as the star of the Disney series
Stuck in the Middle
but is now best known as Tara Carpenter in the
Scream
sequels, Lorraine in the horror film
X
, and Wednesday Addams in the Netflix series
Wednesday
.

Monica Bellucci As Delores

Date Of Birth: September 30, 1964

Cast in the Beetlejuice 2 role of the titular character’s wife, Delores, is Italian actress Monica Bellucci, who had her breakout role in Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992, which also starred Beetlejuice‘s Winona Ryder. Bellucci’s most famous roles include Persephone in The Matrix: Revolutions and The Matrix Reloaded, Lucia in the James Bond movie Spectre, and Donna Quintano in the action comedy Shoot ‘Em Up. The actress also notably portrayed the title character in the classic Italian drama Malena.

The introduction of Betelgeuse’s ex-wife is very exciting for this long-awaited sequel, revealing more about Betelgeuse’s backstory and who he was before becoming the iconic “bio-exorcist.” It’s been a long time since the original Beetlejuice‘s ending, and the addition of this character proves that plenty has happened between the two movies that the titular character is facing consequences for. As Delores searches the afterlife for revenge against Betelgeuse, she becomes a lurking threat throughout Tim Burton’s sequel.

Willem Dafoe As Wolf Jackson

Date Of Birth: July 22, 1955

Willem Dafoe was born in Appleton, Wisconsin and broke out in the 1986 Vietnam War movie Platoon. The actor should fit perfectly into Tim Burton’s eccentric style, as he has adopted plenty of quirky roles over the years. Dafoe is best known for playing Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and Thomas Wake in The Lighthouse. He has also earned Oscar nominations for his supporting performances in Platoon, The Florida Project, and Shadow of the Vampire and a lead nod for his portrayal of Vincent van Gogh in At Eternity’s Gate.

In one of the most surprising additions for Beetlejuice 2, Willem Dafoe joined the cast as Wolf Jackson, an Afterlife Law Enforcement Officer. Dafoe’s character was a B-movie action star while still alive, and seeks to fill those thrills in the afterlife through his career as a detective. Throughout the 2024 movie, Wolf Jackson seeks out both Betelgeuse and Delores as the latter seeks her revenge against her ex-husband.

Dafoe’s character was a B-movie action star while still alive, and seeks to fill those thrills in the afterlife through his career as a detective.

Justin Theroux As Rory

Date Of Birth: August 10, 1971

Justin Theroux was born in Washington, DC and broke out in David Lynch’s 2001 movie Mulholland Drive. He’s best known for playing Timothy Bryce in American Psycho, as well as his lead roles in the series The Leftovers, The Mosquito Coast, and White House Plumbers, in which he portrays Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy. Justin Theroux is also a filmmaker and a screenwriter, having scripted Iron Man 2 and co-written Tropic Thunder and Zoolander 2.

In the cast of Beetlejuice 2, Justin Theroux has an important role as Rory. Portraying Lydia’s manager and love interest, Rory joins Lydia and the Deetz family in Winter River for the funeral of Charles Deetz, where he soon encounters the titular character. Given his somewhat of an outsider dynamic with the Deetz family, he encounters some trouble with Delia and Astrid. However, he is involved in a key sequence linked to Beetlejuice 2‘s soundtrack.

Burn Gorman As Winter River Reverend

Date Of Birth: September 1, 1974

Burn Gorman had joined the Tim Burton sequel’s cast in a supporting role. English actor Burn Gorman was born in Los Angeles, California before his family returned to England, with his breakout role being in Torchwood as Owen Harper. The actor has also appeared in Game of Thrones, Turn: Washington’s Spies, The Expanse, The Dark Knight Rises, and the Pacific Rim movies.

The reverend in Beetlejuice 2 leads the funeral for Charles Deetz, where the children’s choir is singing “Day-O” as a reference to the original movie. With another wedding scene also included in Beetlejuice 2, Gorman’s reverend is the one who arrives to officiate Lydia and Betelgeuse’s second wedding.

Arthur Conti As Jeremy

Date Of Birth: Unknown

Arthur Conti is among the new members of Beetlejuice 2‘s cast. Conti is a British actor based in London, England, with Beetlejuice 2 marking his second acting credit. Previously, Conti appeared in House of the Dragon season 1 as the Queen’s Page. The actor appears in the movie as Jeremy, a teen in Winter River who forms a bond with Jenna Ortega’s Astrid. Well-versed in the backstory of Lydia and the “Ghost House,” Jeremy ends up joining Astrid on an arduous trip to the afterlife realm.

Danny DeVito As Afterlife Janitor

Date Of Birth: November 17, 1944

Frequent Tim Burton collaborator Danny DeVito has a cameo in the cast of Beetlejuice 2. DeVito was born in Neptune, New Jersey, with his breakout role being as the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the TV show Taxi between 1978 to 1982. DeVito is also well known for his movie roles in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest as Martini, Terms of Endearment as Vernon Dahlart, Twins as Vincent Benedict, Tim Burton’s Batman Returns as Oswald Cobblepot/The Penguin, Matilda as Harry Hornwood (which he also directed), and The Lorax as the titular character.

The actor has also received acclaim for his role as Frank Reynolds on the long-running comedy show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. DeVito reunites with Tim Burton for the fifth time in Beetlejuice 2, in which he portrays an afterlife janitor. DeVito’s Beetlejuice 2 character unfortunately gets in the way of Delores, becoming threatened by her soul-sucking demon powers.

Other Members Of Beetlejuice 2’s Supporting Cast

Santiago Cabrera as Richard: Astrid’s father and Lydia’s husband who passed away before the events of Beetlejuice 2. Cabrera would be known for his roles in Heroes, Merlin, Salvation, and Star Trek: Picard.

Nick Kellington as Bob: Beetlejuice’s second-in-command among his shrunken-head workers. Kellington previously played Dipsy in Teletubbies, as well as roles in the Star Wars franchise.

Amy Nuttall as Jane Butterfield: The grown-up version of Little Jane from the original movie, who is a realtor like her mother. Nuttall would be best known for her role as Ethel Parks in Downton Abbey.

Filipe Cates as Vlad: A boy Astrid meets in Beetlejuice 2‘s ending sequence. The young actor recently appeared in an episode of Apple TV+’s Masters of the Air.