Beetlejuice 2 starring Jenna Ortega gets exciting update as writers’ strike nears end

Filming for Beetlejuice 2 shut down this summer due to the actors’ strike, but as negotiations with the AMPTP are starting to look positive, the movie might not see a delay.

When it comes to highly anticipated movies, Beetlejuice 2 has got to be one of the biggest that fans are looking forward to. I personally cannot wait to see the returning cast members, including Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, and Catherine O’Hara, and I was thrilled to hear Wednesday star Jenna Ortega would be playing a major role in the movie as well. The sequel to the beloved 1988 classic has been in the works for a long time now (over a decade, to be exact) but just as exciting developments were being announced, production came to a halt.

Now, as the Writers Guild of America (WGA) has come to a tentative deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), all eyes are on movie and show productions to see what’ll happen next.

In case you missed it, Beetlejuice 2 began filming earlier this year, meaning the movie was already written prior to the writers’ strike which began in May. But once the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) went on strike in mid-July, the Tim Burton movie was one of many forced to shut down. As the sequel is produced by Warner Bros., it’s on contract with the AMPTP, and many of the cast members — if not all — are part of SAG.

Beetlejuice 2 is almost done filming

But according to a new report from Deadline which details the tentative deal the writers and studios have come to, they make a note that Beetlejuice 2 only has “a few more days left of production before it’s 100% wrapped,” meaning that whenever they are able to get back and running, filming should be completed within days. That’s great news, no doubt, though we don’t know how long it’ll take for the actors to come to a deal with the studios.

At this point, it looks like we’re headed in the right direction when it comes to the ongoing strikes, but we’re not in the clear yet. The WGA still needs to ratify its new deal with the AMPTP, and then, hopefully, it’ll be time for SAG to negotiate. There was a report circulating this week that claimed SAG could be meeting with the AMPTP within the next few days to negotiate, but SAG has since debunked that, saying: “We have no confirmed dates scheduled and there will not be meetings with the AMPTP this week.”

When is Beetlejuice 2 coming out?

At the time of this writing, the theatrical release date for Beetlejuice 2 remains Sept. 6, 2024, which is perfect for the Halloween season next year. The sequel has not been officially pushed back by Warner Bros., and while we don’t know when they can continue filming, the news that they only have a few days left is encouraging.

If the actors’ strike ends at some point this fall, we could still see the movie coming out next September, for sure. But if we get closer to the end of the year or potentially into 2024 without an end to the actors’ strike, we could definitely be looking at a postponed release.

In an interview with Burton published in Sept. 2023, the filmmaker said that production on Beetlejuice 2 only had “a day and a half” left before the actors’ strike began, which confirms Deadline’s report. It’s a very promising update, but one we’ll be sure to keep an eye on just in case.

Beetlejuice 2 will also see actors Justin Theroux, Willem Dafoe, and Monica Bellucci in supporting roles, rounding out a fantastic cast. As a huge fan of the original movie, I cannot wait to see what the sequel has in store! It better do the first one justice.