Beetlejuice Star Winona Ryder Never Thought Her Character Lydia Deetz Will Be A Mom In Sequel; ‘Keep The Essence Of First One’
Winona Ryder recently discussed her feelings about reprising her iconic role as Lydia Deetz in the upcoming Tim Burton sequel to Beetlejuice. She will be joining her co-star Michael Keaton, who is returning as the titular character. Ryder, who first portrayed the goth teenager involved with the ghostly inhabitants of her home in the original 1988 film, hinted at some exciting details about the adult version of her character and what fans can expect in the sequel.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Winona Ryder and her co-star Catherine O’Hara revealed their experience teaming up again with director Tim Burton for his long-awaited sequel to his iconic 1988 film. Ryder also discussed what she initially expected for her goth teen character’s future and shared her thoughts on the grown-up version of Lydia.
Ryder began by expressing, “I would hope there’s that thing of wanting to keep the essence of the first one, but then imagine this whole life that’s happened,” before revealing that she never imagined Lydia becoming a “mother.”
The Black Swan actress mentioned that instead, she imagined Lydia would choose to stay as a “spinster” in the attic, teasing that Jenna Ortega’s involvement would address many of those questions, and it “felt right.”
The Beetlejuice sequel brings back the Deetz family, who return to their home in Winter River after Charles Deetz’s unexpected death. Lydia’s life changes drastically when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), finds a mysterious model of the town in the attic. Accidentally opening a portal to the Afterlife, they release Betelgeuse (Keaton).
The actress also shared that before they teamed up again for the film, every year or so, they would meet, and Burton would walk around and say, “This isn’t like a sequel. It’s just like things happen in life, and I really want to know what’s going on with them [characters] now.”
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Her co-star Catherine O’Hara, who returned to play Delia Deetz, Lydia’s mother, in the sequel, told the outlet that she noticed the way Tim Burton now talks about Lydia’s story. The actress added that she had seen several of his interviews in which he discussed this character’s journey and compared it to the first Beetlejuice movie. O’Hara added that Burton is particularly intrigued by the dynamics of the Deetz family and the bond between the three women.
Meanwhile, Tim Burton’s highly anticipated Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will release in theaters on September 6, 2024.
