Beetlejuice at 30: Ten Secrets You Never Knew

Beetlejuice has turned 30. However, it is interesting to note that the making of the movie was as interesting a story as that of the movie itself, which should provide fans with a moment’s amusement.  Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Beetlejuice:

Beetlejuice Is a Star

To be exact, Beetlejuice is the pronunciation of Betelgeuse, which is not just the name of the character but also the name of a star that has been well-known to people since ancient times. This is because said star has the distinction of being the ninth brightest star from the perspective of the Earth.

Might’ve Been Named House Ghost

Beetlejuice might’ve been named House Ghost because the executives at Warner Bros. were concerned that the name would’ve been too confusing for potential viewers.

There Used to Be Two Sisters

Currently, there is one sister in Beetlejuice. However, the script of the movie used to have two sisters, one of whom was removed to put increased focus on Lydia.

Tim Burton Pitched Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian

At one point in time, there was a plan to make a follow-up to Beetlejuice called Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian, which would’ve been exactly as inane as it sounds. Tim Burton was the one who pitched it to the executives. However, that was because he wanted it to fail because he wasn’t interested in making another Beetlejuice movie.

One of the Script-writers Had a Different Idea For a Follow-Up

Larry Wilson had a much different idea for a follow-up to Beetlejuice. In short, his follow-up would’ve been much more focused on the interactions of the characters, which would’ve been sparked by Charles Deetz developing a crush of sorts on Barbara Maitland.

The Car Crash Used to Be Much More Graphic

The car crash that killed the Maitlands would’ve been been much more graphic if the people behind Beetlejuice had gone with original script, with an excellent example being the two screaming for help on screen. Even now, Barbara Maitland’s line about her arm feeling cold is a leftover from the original script in which it was crushed in the car crash.

Betelgeuse Used to Be Much More Demonic

Betelgeuse isn’t exactly a pleasant character in the version of the script that was made into a movie, but he was much worse in the original, which is perhaps unsurprising considering that he was actually supposed to look like a demon. Examples ranged from Betelgeuse wanting to kill the Deetz family to him wanting to rape Lydia.

Co-Author Got Chewed Out For Supporting Beetlejuice

Originally, Larry Wilson was working at Universal Pictures. However, when he recommended the script for Beetlejuice to a high-ranking executive with whom he had an excellent relationship, he got chewed out because said individual thought it was both weird and terrible.

Rewritten Script Revealed More About Betelgeuse’s Background

The script that made it onto the screen wasn’t the sole version that resulted from the re-writing. In one version, Betelgeuse would’ve had more of his background introduced. In short, he would’ve been a man who committed suicide while he was inebriated. As a result, he made a mistake, with the result that he died a particularly horrible death from a slow strangling as opposed to the faster snap of the neck that he had been aiming for.

Rewritten Script Would’ve Had an Odd Ending

Speaking of rewritten versions, one of them had an ending in which the Maltlands would’ve been entrusted with the care of Lydia while her parents headed back to New York, with the result that the house got turned into the archetypal image of a haunted house. Still, this was much better than another version, which would’ve seen Lydia joining the Maltlands as a ghost after she was killed in a fire, which was not particularly well thought out to say the least.

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