This 'Beetlejuice' Death Scene Draws From Tim Burton's Deepest Fears

For years, there have been whispers about a sequel to ‘Beetlejuice’, but director Tim Burton consistently rejected the idea. Although there were various leaked concepts, such as the Ghost with the Most vacationing in Hawaii, nothing materialized—until now. The long-awaited sequel, ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’, has finally arrived, delighting fans and bringing many of the original cast members back. For those who didn’t return, such as Geena Davis, a plausible explanation is provided: her character, Barbara Maitland, and her husband Adam (Alec Baldwin) have moved on from their ghostly existence. In reality, Davis has stated that ghosts don't age, so her return would be inconsistent with the film’s logic.

Charles Deetz, played by Jeffrey Jones in the original film, poses a different challenge. Jones, who was arrested in 2002 for serious crimes and is now a registered s*x offender, does not appear in the sequel. 

Image Courtesy: IMDb

To address his absence, Burton had to creatively incorporate Charles’s character into the story. In the film, Charles’s death is revealed through a claymation sequence that reflects Burton’s signature style. He dies in a plane crash, survives briefly, but is then eaten by a shark—a scenario inspired by Burton’s own fears, as screenwriter Alfred Gough explained. 

This imaginative depiction serves both as a callback to Burton’s earlier work and as a darkly humorous element that kicks off the sequel.

Image Courtesy: Variety

Charles’s demise serves as a plot device that brings the characters back to Winter River, particularly to the house from the first film. This sets the stage for the story to focus on Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) and her family dynamics. The film thus becomes more about the Deetz women and their experiences, with Charles’s over-the-top death providing a unique and personal touch from Burton.

–Farheen Ali