Whispers of a possible release date delay for Beetlejuice 2 have started to make their way online.
The upcoming legacy sequel from Warner Bros. will seemingly reintroduce the world to Tim Burton's iconic vision of the afterlife and Micheal Keaton's titular unkempt demon.
Beetlejuice 2 was set to come to theaters in September 2024, with returning stars Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara reprising their roles alongside Keaton as well as uber-popular modern-day scream queen Jenna Ortega joining the cast.
Filming for the project started in May, but production was ultimately shut down amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike in Hollywood.
Beetlejuice 2's Release May Get Bumped
According to a new report from Variety, Beetlejuice 2's release date could be in question due to the continued actors' strike.
This discouraging update noted that the Tim Burton sequel is amongst the list of Warner Bros. productions at risk of a delay.
B. Riley senior media analyst Eric Wold told the outlet if production cannot get started back up again in the next couple of weeks, 2024 movies like Beetlejuice 2 could "move into 2025 and beyond:"
“There will be a number of 2024 titles that move into 2025 and beyond because of production delays. Studios are holding back and not talking about it to avoid showing their weak hand during negotiations. But people are waiting for it.”
The Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder-led blockbuster is currently set to release in September 2024 with the film supposedly being "99 percent done," according to director Tim Burton (via The Independent):
“I feel grateful we got what we got. Literally, it was a day and a half. We know what we have to do. It is 99 per cent done.”
Will Beetlejuice 2 Get Delayed?
At this point, it remains unknown if a delay is headed for Beetlejuice 2.
While some of the other movies listed in Variety's reporting, such as Robert De Niro-led crime drama Wise Guys, are at varying points of unfinished, Beetlejuice 2 has the luxury of nearly being done.
According to Tim Burton, the crew only needs "a day and a half" to finish filming the sequel, which is a good sign. It is not like the Beetlejuice crew only just got started on the movie when production was ultimately shut down.
If Burton and the team have been toiling away in the editing room while the writers and actors were/are on strike, then this could mean Beetlejuice 2 will hit its September 2024 date.
Seeing as this legacy sequel feels primed for a Halloween-adjacent theatrical run given its ghoulish subject matter, Warner Bros. would be smart to hold firm and not delay the title.
The studio may have no choice, though. As it eyes its 2024 slate, everything that has gotten delayed is going to need a new date, which would - in turn - bump all the other projects (including Beetlejuice) down the line whether they are finished or not.
Also, one variable that needs to be accounted for is actually getting to start production again. As it stands, the actors' strike is ongoing in Hollywood with negotiations moving at a glacial pace.
If the movie can get back in front of the camera before the end of 2023, then one can assume it will not get moved. But there are no guarantees in this uncertain time in entertainment.
Beetlejuice 2 is currently set to hit theaters on September 6, 2024.
