Best Easter Eggs and References

SPOILER ALERT: This text accommodates spoilers for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” now enjoying in theaters.

It’s been 36 years since Michael Keaton’s foul-mouthed demon first terrorized audiences in Tim Burton‘s 1988 movie “Beetlejuice,” however his legacy lives on. Particularly now {that a} sequel, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” is lastly in theaters.

Keaton returns to reprise his function because the ghost with essentially the most, alongside authentic stars Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara, within the zany supernatural follow-up. Whereas different solid members from the primary movie like Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin are absent, the 2024 flick is filled with each refined and overt nods to its predecessor.

See the perfect Easter eggs and references under.

Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O”

One of the crucial iconic scenes from the primary “Beetlejuice” is the ceremonial dinner throughout which the Maitlands possess the Deetz household and their visitors to sing Harry Belafonte’s “Day-O.” In fact, the tune makes a return within the sequel — in a really totally different context. This time, a younger choir sings a slowed-down gospel model of the tune at Charles’ funeral. The sequel will get its personal larger-than-life musical quantity close to its finale, with Beetlejuice and the Deetz ladies performing a full of life rendition of Richard Harris’ “Macarthur Park” at Lydia’s marriage ceremony.

Delia’s Sculptures

Delia Deetz now runs an artwork gallery within the coronary heart of Manhattan: it’s hip, cool and bizarre, stuffed with all sorts of experimental artwork. However she hasn’t forgotten her roots. Astrid’s boarding college now boasts the Deetz Artwork Heart, that includes a menagerie of Delia’s eccentric sculptures from the primary movie (together with that wild claw-like sculpture that when pinned her to the wall).

Ghost Home

When audiences first see a grown-up Lydia Deetz, she’s internet hosting her personal paranormal investigation present referred to as “Ghost Home.” Whereas it’s an ideal identify for the collection, it’s additionally a cheeky reference to what may have been the 1988 movie’s title, if Warner Bros. obtained their approach. “‘Ghost Home’ was truly virtually the identify of the primary film,” screenwriter Al Gough tells Selection. “They didn’t like ‘Beetlejuice.’ Tim actually needed to struggle to name it ‘Beetlejuice.’”

Shrunken Head Guys

A broad-shouldered man with a tiny shrunken head first seems within the Neitherworld Ready Room (and shrinks Beetlejuice’s head) on the finish of the primary movie. Within the sequel, Bob leads an workplace filled with yellow-suited shrunken head guys, every carrying a pink nametag. These nametags are literally references to producers of the movie, from Brad (Pitt) to Al (Gough). “The editor did that in put up,” Gough advised Selection. “They advised me about it on the premiere!” These aren’t the one real-life names that made it into the movie: Gough and co-writer Miles Millar referred to as Lydia and Rory’s {couples} therapist “Dr. Glickman,” after their longtime good friend and Miramax CEO Jon Glickman (who additionally produced Burton’s collection “Wednesday”).

Miss Shannon’s Faculty for Women

Earlier than Lydia floats up the steps in her college uniform in “Beetlejuice,” she’s seen leaving Miss Shannon’s Faculty for Women. The esteemed establishment makes a return within the sequel, as Astrid rides her bike previous its signal following Charles’ funeral.

Opening Shot

Each “Beetlejuice” and its sequel open with the digicam panning over Winter River, Conn. because the opening titles flash throughout the display screen. In fact, the unique movie is definitely exhibiting the Maitland’s scale mannequin of the city, which makes its return when Astrid discovers it within the Deetz household attic.

Handbook for the Just lately Deceased

Barbara and Adam Maitland initially use the handbook to navigate life as ghosts, and it performs the same key function within the sequel. Astrid first discovers the literature in Jeremy’s bed room (and he didn’t get it from a thrift retailer, like he claims). She’s tricked into studying an incantation from the ebook as she enters the afterlife, however later makes use of it to her benefit through the use of it to nullify Beetlejuice’s marriage contract with Lydia.

Lydia’s Wedding ceremony Costume

Beetlejuice hasn’t given up on his dream of marrying Lydia. After she indicators a contract agreeing to marry him in change for his assist rescuing Astrid from the afterlife, Beetlejuice hijacks her marriage ceremony to Rory and decks her out in a pink marriage ceremony gown that appears an terrible lot just like the one she wears within the first movie.

Charles’ Demise

This final one’s much less of an Easter egg and extra of an evidence. Whereas Lydia’s father Charles is useless within the sequel, actor Jeffrey Jones continues to be very a lot alive — however there’s a reasonably good purpose he’s not again for this movie. Jones was charged with soliciting a minor to pose for nude pictures in 2003. He pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 5 years’ probation, counseling and registering as a intercourse offender. He was arrested in 2004 and 2010 for failing to replace his intercourse offender registration.

That mentioned, the character Charles nonetheless seems within the 2024 movie — first in an animated sequence depicting his dying (he survives a airplane crash, solely to get eaten by a shark), and later within the afterlife (with out a head). Gough says he and Millar discovered Charles’ dying to be a inventive approach they might incorporate the stop-motion animation Burton has utilized in many initiatives: “We thought, ‘Oh, it is a nice technique to put that within the film and inform the backstory of Charles.’ The thought of crashing and getting eaten by a shark was Tim’s personal worst worry of dying. So he thought, ‘Okay, the shark simply takes his head off, and we’re off to the races.’”