Welcome to the afterlife: Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci & Willem Dafoe talk about joining “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”, in cinemas September 4

Director Tim Burton is very happy with the new cast and characters in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” sequel to his 1988 horror-comedy classic “Beetlejuice.”

The celebrated director appreciated that everyone was collaborative. “It’s like we’re doing this thing that nobody really knows what we’re doing – and within that framework, everybody is trying to make it something,” says Burton. “It was a joy to be on the set and go, ‘Hey, try this. Try that.’ And they all tried stuff.”

Get to know the new characters in the world of “Beetlejuice”, and find out what their actors – Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe – think about joining the “Beetlejuice” family.

Astrid Deetz (Jenna Ortega)

Astrid Deetz is Lydia’s (Winona Ryder) 16-year-old daughter and granddaughter of Charles and Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara). Astrid is still struggling from the loss of her dad, and her particular style and viewpoint are not appreciated at the boarding school she is currently attending. Astrid is having a challenging time finding her way. Making matters worse is her mom’s fame from her television show – which Astrid believes is basically a sham. So, it’s no wonder that heading to a small town with her mother and grandmother is not exactly what she had in mind.

“I’ve done this a couple times now, where I’ve joined a franchise that I never pictured myself joining,” says Ortega. “So, definitely, go back, do your homework, study.” Ortega is “really, really grateful” to be a part of the world of “Beetlejuice.” “It was such a privilege, and I don’t know what I did to be in this position or be on this project,” she says. “But it felt like I was thanking my lucky stars for it every day, because it was like a dream come true. And I was working with all of these people that I respected and admired and looked up to for years, and they were all so wonderful. And I got to work with one of my favorite directors again, which is incredible.” (Burton directed some episodes of “Wednesday,” in which Ortega starred as the titular character, and for which both got Emmy nominations.)

Rory (Justin Theroux)

Rory, an all-around sensitive guy, is Lydia’s manager – helping her host her show, “Ghost House with Lydia Deetz” – as well as her fiancé. He’s also a bit of an operator, professionally, and is eager to further Lydia’s career, in addition to helping her become the better version of herself he envisions (which she might not see herself).

Of his character, Theroux says, “I think of him as always being in his own movie, his own soap opera. And he’s that type of character that I love, which is he’s insincere and slightly dim. And I love that in a person, someone who’s always trying to find an angle into anyone in the book.”

And of being cast in the sequel, he shares, “It was fun… It was mostly goofing around. And like all great films you enjoy doing, there was a lot of laughter between takes. This is such an incredible cast. I came onto the set one day and we were shooting a big scene, and they had this little tent set up for us where they had chairs: Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe… And I just thought, ‘Well, this is a deep bench of great actors.’”

Delores (Monica Bellucci) 

Delores is a figure from Beetlejuice’s past – which is pretty long, considering he’s been dead for centuries. Delores has returned and is currently trying to track down the Juice in the Afterlife.

“My character says a lot without really speaking that much. I felt really like a mime,” says Bellucci of Delores. “I’m so honored to be part of this amazing cast, and to enter into Tim’s fantastic and magical world… the atmosphere on set is very calm and beautiful. And his energy, it’s really inspiring for everybody.”

Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe)

Wolf Jackson was an actor who died on the job while playing the tough, no-nonsense character of Frank Hardballer. The television show Hardballer had a good run in the ’70s, and then a short-lived revival in the ’90s. Continuing to “live” his character in the Afterlife, Jackson is now the head of the Afterlife Crimes Unit.

“He’s the crime unit guy, an investigator. In his life before he died he was an actor, and maybe not such a good one. But he did make some action movies… and he prided himself very much on his ability to do his own stunts,” says Dafoe about his character. Of working with Burton and the returning original cast – Keaton, Ryder, O’Hara – Dafoe shares, “With the returning cast and their relationships, I’m a supporting role and I’m on their turf. But that’s okay. I was happy to come and be a part of their world… To be in the room with them is to be in the room with people who are excited to be back together and playing around. So, it was a real pleasure.”

In “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice,” three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River after an unexpected family tragedy. Still haunted by Beetlejuice (Keaton), Lydia’s (Ryder) life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid (Ortega), discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem. The sequel’s screenplay is by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (“Wednesday”), story by Gough and Millar and Seth Grahame-Smith (“The LEGO® Batman Movie”), based on characters created by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson.

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” distributed in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Discovery company, creeps into Philippine cinemas on September 4. #Beetlejuice #Beetlejuice