Highlights
- Haunted Mansion: A fun and wild ride for Beetlejuice fans, with ghosts and humor aplenty in a modernized Disney classic.
- Casper: A family-friendly ghost hit with a friendly twist, perfect for fans of Adam and Barbara’s ghostly antics.
- Rocky Horror Picture Show: Zany and bizarre humor with Tim Curry’s legendary performance.
Beetlejuice was a movie sensation. The creatively dark mind of Tim Burton is the driving force behind this movie, which takes the trope of ghosts haunting a home and completely flips it upside down. Married couple Barbara and Adam crash their car, and even though they reach their house, they don’t make it there alive. Their transition to their afterlife grows increasingly complicated when the Deetz family moves in, and they call upon the aid of the eponymous Beetlejuice for help exorcising the living family from their home.
The laughs and adventure it provided fans can still be appreciated today, and now moviegoers will have the chance to catch up with the Deetz family over thirty years later, with the latest descendant calling upon the man, the myth, the legend himself. Fans undoubtedly can’t wait for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but here are some movies to make the wait until its long-awaited release a little more bearable.
1 Haunted Mansion
Delve Into A Family-Friendly Haunted House Horror
- Release year: 2023
- Director: Justin Simien
For Beetlejuice fans who enjoyed the haunted house side of things, they would be doing themselves a disservice if they didn’t check out the 2023 movie Haunted Mansion, based on the classic Disney title of the same movie, modernized for a newer audience to enjoy.
In this flick, a widow and her son move into a large and decrepit mansion with the intention of turning it into a bed and breakfast, but the ghosts haunting its walls might have a thing or two to say about it. It’s not too frightening, but it is a fun and wild ride that Beetlejuice fans can enjoy while waiting for the long-awaited sequel.
2 The Addams Family
A Zany Comedy With Gothic Tones
- Release year: 1991
- Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Based on an old TV show and an even older series of comics, director Barry Sonnenfeld brings the comedic family to life in his two live-action movies, starting with the simply named The Addams Family. The Addams are rich and eccentric but every bit a loving and close family, led by the patriarch and matriarch couple, Gomez and Morticia, who have set an unreachable standard for fictional couples.
The surreal comedy has a Tim Burton feel to it, which pervades Beetlejuice, and the gothic tones and themes of the movie would definitely be Lydia Deetz-approved.
3 Casper
A Friendly Haunting
- Release year: 1995
- Director: Brad Silberling
Everyone knows about Casper the friendly ghost, and the clue is in his title–he is a friendly ghost who people don’t need to worry about if he haunted their house. This classic mid-90s, family-friendly ghost hit stars a young Christina Ricci as Kat, the daughter of paranormal therapist James Harvey.
The father and daughter meet Casper, the young and kind ghost still living on their property, and his less kind Uncles, the Ghostly Trio. For fans who enjoyed the ghostly shenanigans Adam and Barbara pulled on the new, unsuspecting family that moved into their home, Casper is sure to delight viewers of all ages.
4 The Rocky Horror Picture Show
An Ordinary Couple Way Out Of Their Depth
- Release year: 1975
- Director: Jim Sharman
The next one should probably only be viewed by more mature audiences. In this musical flick, Tim Curry brings the brilliant Dr. Frank N. Furter to flamboyant life as he welcomes ordinary suburban couple Brad and Janet into his mansion after their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, and introduces them to his life of mischief and mayhem.
Brad and Janet are like two fish out of water, similar to Adam and Barbara as they navigate the afterlife, trying to scare the current living residents of their home into fleeing. The Rocky Horror Picture Show has some of the same zany and bizarre humor, and Tim Curry’s performance is nothing short of legendary.
5 Batman Returns
Witness Michael Keaton In An Iconic Role
- Release year: 1992
- Director: Tim Burton
There would be few who deny that one of the main draws of Beetlejuice is the magnetic and bombastic portrayal masterfully executed by Michael Keaton. Burton took a risk in casting Keaton in 1989’s Batman, as the actor was known for more humorous roles (like Beetlejuice), but this risk paid off tenfold. In the 1992 sequel, Batman goes up against Catwoman and The Penguin during the Christmas holidays.
Keaton is iconic as the Caped Crusader and stands out in his role even among other legends such as Michelle Pfeiffer and Danny DeVito. Batman Returns is the perfect movie to watch for those captivated by his performance in the original Beetlejuice.
6 Edward Scissorhands
A Tim Burton Classic With A Familiar Face
- Release year: 1990
- Director: Tim Burton
Edward Scissorhands is among Burton’s greatest hits, combining a misunderstood, gothic character with surreal world-building, and a surprisingly touching love story at the heart of its plot. The titular Edward was given scissors for hands that make everyday life hard, and his life only becomes more difficult when an ordinary Avon saleswoman takes him in, and he is accused of crimes he did not commit.
Alongside Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder stars as his on-screen lover, taking on a completely different role to the gloomy Lydia Deetz. Still, Beetlejuice fans will be pleased to see the young actress and her talents on full display in this gothic love story.
7 Beetlejuice
Rewatch The Excellent Original While Waiting For The Sequel
- Release year: 1988
- Director: Tim Burton
What else could fans watch while waiting for the long-anticipated sequel? Why, the original, of course! Ever since its release in the late 80s, Beetlejuice has become a favorite among movie fans. The surreal brilliance Burton brings to every movie is on full display, and Keaton’s role is legendary. He captures the crude humor of the titled character to perfection, absolutely stealing the show.
So, while fans are eagerly awaiting the theatrical release, now is the perfect time to revisit the original, and witness the movie that started the two-part series. Though some of the special effects are dated, the movie remains a wild ride from start to finish, and in every second of screentime there is something to enjoy, whether it is the Maitlands’ attempts to scare the Deetzs’, Lydia’s portrayal of a troubled teen, or of course, the man himself.
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