Beetlejuice Beetlejuicewas a wildly successful return to director Tim Burton’s movie franchise, and the possibilities for athirdBeetlejuicefilmare endless. The chances of Burton making anotherBeetlejuicemovie are high, especially given the second installment’s incredible box office run and reviews. Also, since the second film ended with Lydia Deetz still haunted by Betelgeuse, the door has indeed been left open for a sequel following her ongoing experiences with the mischievous bio-exorcist.

While it’s anybody’s guess what a thirdBeetlejuicemovie would present, it needs to have a distinctive, new take on the franchise to justify its existence and stand out to audiences. However, one small character in thesecondBeetlejuicemovie’s castalready shows what the sequel should be about: Christmas. Not only didBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceshow what a holiday-themed sequel would look like, but it would satisfy fans of another Tim Burton classic:The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Betelgeuse looks happy at his wedding in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Beetlejuice 3 Should Be A Christmas Movie

A Christmas-Themed Beetlejuice Can Provide A Fresh Follow-Up To The Second Film

Similar to another 2024 horror hit,Terrifier 3, a thirdBeetlejuicefilm could step away from the Halloween-heavy aesthetic of its predecessors to deliver a frighteningly funny story set during Christmas.Beetlejuice Beetlejuicealready presented a tale set on Halloween night, so doing it again would seem too repetitive. However, having the threequel’s story take place during the holiday season can help distinguish it from the rest of the franchise.

What Happened To Otho In Beetlejuice 2 & Why He’s Not In The Sequel

Though Beetlejuice Beetlejuice featured the return of many beloved characters, Otho Fenlock was unfortunately absent from Tim Burton’s sequel.

A Christmas-themedBeetlejuicemovie could also provide several narrative possibilities for Burton and his team of writers. Even thoughTim Burton’s long-awaited sequeltook almost 40 years to be made,Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceexpanded the world of the franchise by introducing new characters and concepts in the Afterlife. Since the franchise hasn’t lost its steam, a thirdBeetlejuicecould further develop its world with new characters and ideas centered around Christmas. It can even allow the writers to come up with some hilarious holiday jokes.

What-Happened-To-Otho-In-Beetlejuice-2-&-Why-He’s-Not-In-The-Sequel

The Afterlife’s Santa Proves How A Beetlejuice Movie Set During Christmas Could Work

One Small But Festive Cameo In The Afterlife Hints At How A Beetlejuice Film Would Look On Christmas

Astrid encounters a burnt spirit dressed as Santa Claus in theAfterlife waiting room inBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, saying “Merry Christmas” to him before moving on. This moment alone may be a brief bit of humor, but it proves a sample of what a Christmas-themedBeetlejuicemovie could look like. With several spirits appearing all dressed up for the holidays,Beetlejuice 3could end up presenting a Christmas movie unlike any other.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuicehas already established how the holidays could factor into a third film with the deaths of Charles and Delia. Lydia and Astrid may want to contact their dead loved ones for Christmas, and a holiday spirit similar to Santa may help with that.Though Charles and Delia took the Soul Train to the Great Beyond at the end of the second film, they could still link Lydia and Astrid to the Afterlife and help them reunite. This connection could also draw in Betelgeuse once more for another wacky journey through the spirit world.

Astrid staring at a burned spirit dressed as Santa Claus in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

A Christmas Beetlejuice Movie Could Give Tim Burton Another Holiday Movie After The Nightmare Before Christmas

Beetlejuice 3 Could Actually Be The Long-Awaited Sequel To The Nightmare Before Christmas

If Burton does decide to make a Christmas-themedBeetlejuicemovie, this would be the director’s first holiday movie since 1993’sThe Nightmare Before Christmas. Though Burton didn’t actually direct the latter, he did create the film’s story, and it shows with its wacky and macabre style.Plans for a sequel toThe Nightmare Before Christmashave been discussed for decades now, but no such film has been made so far.

Beetlejuice 3 Can Finally Revive An Original Lydia Deetz Detail That The 2024 Sequel Forgot

Amid Lydia Deetz’s reunion with Betelgeuse and chaos in the afterlife realm, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice ignored a notable part of her original story.

The Nightmare Before Christmasdoesn’t need a sequel, as it achieved a satisfactory conclusion with just one film. It’s difficult to see where this beloved holiday-themed franchise can go from there. Instead of possibly tarnishing the film’s sequel with a lackluster sequel,Burton could create a spiritual successor by makingBeetlejuice 3a Christmas movie, with Betelguese taking on Jack Skellington’s role of creating his terrifying wonderland for the holidays.

Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice 1988 and Beetlejuice 2

Considering the success ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, a sequel to this film seems more likely than a follow-up toThe Nightmare Before Christmas. However, a thirdBeetlejuicemovie could satisfy fans of the latter bydelivering a spooky Christmas comedy that continues the Deetzs' experiences with the Afterlife. Tim Burton has already teased what the holidays would look like in the world ofBeetlejuice, so a feature-length film exploring the concept seems like the next logical step for the franchise.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Film Poster