Tim Burton’s upcoming movie Beetlejuice 2 is bringing back a long-beloved feature of his filmmaking that has largely been absent from his past three movies. Burton is the creative mind behind some of the most beloved horror comedies of the past few decades, such as Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, and The Nightmare Before Christmas (which he didn’t direct), which have often featured trademarks such as gothic fantasy elements, outcast narratives, his frequent collaborators, and stop-motion animation. His last few films, however, took him into a divisive new direction as he elevated his use of CGI effects in big-budget movies.

The upcoming 2024 movie Beetlejuice 2 is Burton’s first big cinematic outing since 2019’s live-action Dumbo remake, which notably bombed at the box office while receiving mixed reviews from critics and audiences. After a series of critical and/or commercial misfires throughout the 2010s, Beetlejuice 2 is being regarded as a proper return to form for Tim Burton, as the sequel to his 1988 horror-comedy classic Beetlejuice is teased to revive various elements of his most revered films. One teased Tim Burton trademark, in particular, is confirmed to be back in Beetlejuice 2, which was hardly – if not at all – present in his last three movies.

Beetlejuice 2 Is Confirmed To Feature Stop-Motion Animation

Stop-motion animation has been a trademark of Burton’s filmmaking since 1982

Ahead of Beetlejuice 2’s first teaser trailer release, Tim Burton revealed that there would be stop-motion animation sequences in the Michael Keaton-starring sequel film. Stop-motion animation has been a cornerstone of Tim Burton’s filmmaking since his 1982 short film Vincent, with a few of his most beloved movies utilizing this format entirely or sporadically in various sequences. From The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, and Frankenweenie’s full stop-motion animation to Pee-wee’s Big Adventure and Beetlejuice’s integration of the technique in their live-action stories, the creative style is among the most celebrated aspects of Burton’s distinctive filmmaking.

It’s unclear exactly how much stop-motion animation will be featured in Beetlejuice 2, but it appears to be more significant than his more recent film outings. According to Entertainment Weekly, Burton confirmed that “he’ll be using stop-motion animation to bring a lot of the classic Beetlejuice effects to the screen.” Before moving forward with the movie, Burton and Keaton agreed that Beetlejuice 2 would prioritize practical effects over CGI, so the stop-motion animation will play a major factor in the more fantastical elements of the 2024 sequel. Notably, Beetlejuice’s original sandworm scenes, moving sculptures and furniture, and some of the town model elements were accomplished through stop-motion animation.

By going back to the basics, Burton is recapturing the filmmaking style that underscored his beloved classics, keeping Beetlejuice 2 more authentic to the 1988 movie’s worldbuilding and design. With the town model returning as an important element of Beetlejuice 2’s conflicts with the afterlife and the titular poltergeist, it seems stop-motion animation will play a significant role in translating effects from these scenes to the screen. Furthermore, with Delia likely still active with her sculptures and Jenna Ortega confirmed to have a sandworm scene in Beetlejuice 2, these sequences are poised to mirror the design and effects of similar scenes from the original.

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Tim Burton Hasn’t Prominently Used Stop-Motion Since 2012’s Frankenweenie

Burton’s recent movies have prioritized CGI technology over stop-motion

The last time that stop-motion animation was the primary source of effects creation for a fantastical Tim Burton movie was Frankenweenie in 2012, which utilizes the technique throughout the entire film. Following Frankenweenie, Burton’s next movie was Big Eyes (2014), followed by Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016) and Dumbo (2019), the latter two of which featured larger showcases of CGI effects. Dumbo, in particular, received significant criticism for its overreliance on CGI, which varied in quality throughout the movie, making the call for Burton to return to practical effects and stop-motion animation techniques even louder.

While the 2016 fantasy film Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children primarily accomplishes its special effects through CGI, there are a few brief moments that center on stop-motion animation – a great callback to Burton’s classic films. Still, despite the few stop-motion style sequences, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is overwhelmingly reliant on CGI, perhaps offering a stepping stone from full-blown stop-motion animation in Frankenweenie to very few special effects in Big Eyes, then a major CGI display in Dumbo. Burton’s films that are grounded in practical effects have often proven to be more successful than his CGI exhibitions, so returning to more stop-motion animation than CGI is a great step for Beetlejuice 2.

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Beetlejuice 2’s Stop-Motion Animation Is Great News For Tim Burton’s Practical Effects Return

Burton’s comeback looks more promising as he returns to his practical effects trademarks

Though director Tim Burton and Beetlejuice 2 cast members Michael Keaton and Jenna Ortega have previously teased that the sequel is taking a practical approach to its effects, the confirmation of stop-motion animation sequences is a more recent reveal. Consequently, adding stop-motion animation to the notion that Beetlejuice 2 is taking Tim Burton back to his heyday with practical effects makes the long-awaited movie all the more exciting. It’s clear that in its truest sense, Burton is returning to the filmmaking style that he originally built his acclaimed career around, which will hopefully be continued in his other upcoming projects beyond Beetlejuice 2.

Source: EW

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.

Release Date

September 6, 2024

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures