After literal decades of fans asking for a sequel to Beetlejuice one has finally been filmed. Beetlejuice 2 details, as far as we know them, will see much of the Beetlejuice cast return and it will see the "ghost with the most" back on the big screen. While we're still waiting for our first look at the film in a trailer, a teaser poster dropped today that makes a brilliant reference to the original film, but it also reveals an official title which, while I get it, I don't love it.
The poster shows Beetlejuice's hands, holding a long strip of paper full of numbers. It's an excellent reference to the last time we saw the character when he was in the afterlife's waiting room, where the number he pulled meant he would be waiting for a long time. The numbers are used to confirm the film's slot on the 2024 movie release schedule as Beetlejuice 2 has been given a September 6, 2024 release date. Then we get to the title because the movie is apparently called Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
The Beetlejuice Sequel's Title Is Going To Make The Movie Awkward To Talk About
I get it. You say Beetlejuice's name three times to get him to appear. This is the second movie, so we're just using the first movie's title two times. It's clever. I understand where it came from, and also I can't imagine I will ever call it that when discussing the movie. It's cute, it looks good, but it sounds awkward as hell.
I can't imagine having a conversation about this movie and actually using its title. "Hey, did you see the new trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?" "Oh man, you need to go see Beetlejuice Beetlejuice." Maybe if the character had a simple one-syllable name this would be different, but Beetlejuice is very intentionally a crazy nonsense name, and so saying it twice I'm sure I'm going to flub the title every time I try.
This title is clearly thought up by the same people who thought re-titling Edge of Tomorrow as Live. Die. Repeat was a good idea, and who reportedly want to call the sequel Live. Die. Repeat. Repeat. They literally work on paper. Advertising on posters is fine, but when a voice-over in a trailer says "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in theaters this September" it's going to sound ridiculous.
Are They Setting Up A Beetlejuice Trilogy?
Having said that, I suppose there is at least one possible upside to the silly title. If the first movie is called Beetlejuice, and the sequel is called Beetlejuice Beetlejuice then clearly they're intentionally setting up the possibility of a third movie called Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Whether there are already tentative plans for a trilogy, or the studio waits to see how the sequel does with audiences, this does seem like a very intentional way to have that door open.
I'm sure I'll be writing about the Beetlejuice sequel a lot for the rest of the year, so when I do, I'm sure I'll use this official title and call it Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but when I'm talking about the movie with friends, I'll just be calling it Beetlejuice 2, thank you very much. Everybody will still know what I mean and I won't sound nearly as ridiculous.
