Warning: Spoilers ahead for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice!Tim Burton put a lot of love intoBeetlejuice 2, but the filmmaker also incorporates a subtle insult to Disney after his 2019 project with the studio flopped. 1988’s Beetlejuice is considered one ofTim Burton’s best movies, but it surprisingly took over 30 years for the sequel to happen. ThoughBeetlejuice 2features several returning characters, including Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton, Burton mixes in a few fresh faces and fantastical elements to create a worthy legacy sequel.
Much has changed since the original movie released, and that’s reiterated through themajor events that happened betweenBeetlejuiceandBeetlejuice 2. The same could be said for Burton’s career, considering the kinds of projects he worked on and studios he worked with during his career. Burton’s name is often linked to Warner Bros., thanks to his work on movies likeBeetlejuice, Batman, andCorpse Bride, but he also has a long and complicated history with Disney.Beetlejuice 2even pokes fun at the director’s storied history with the House of Mouse.
Beetlejuice 2’s Disney Insult Explained
Lydia & Jane Discuss Disney-Inspired Halloween Costumes
The Disney diss comes midway throughBeetlejuice 2, with an interaction between Lydia and the grown-up Little Jane. After dropping off Astrid as Jeremy’s, Lydia returns home to find Delia signing documents for Jane as she prepares to put the house on the market. Ryder’s character starts discussing Halloween costumes with Jane when the woman reveals that she wouldn’t dress up kids in Disney-inspired costumes. Lydia then adds thatthe closest Astrid came to a Disney Halloween costume was when she dressed as Cinderella’s dead motherwhen she was young.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Ending Explained: What’s Next For Betelgeuse & The Deetz Family
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has a fast-paced, funny story packed with twists and turns that keep audiences guessing and laughing until the very end.
The Disney mention might seem like afunBeetlejuice2 reference, but it holds a much deeper meaning in context. The Disney mention serves as Burton’s insult to Disney, saying that eventhe most good-natured and innocent character, Jane, refuses to pander to Disney’s popularityas if the company has a hidden dark side that Jane can’t embrace. To make the conversation even funnier, Jane reveals that the kids she will take trick-or-treating will be dressed as various components of fruit salad.
Tim Burton’s History With Disney & Split After Dumbo Explained
Burton’s Time At Disney Started In The Early ’80s
Tim Burton’s Disney insult might come as a surprise to many, considering the filmmaker has a long history with the company. After graduating from CalArts,Burton was brought on for an animation apprenticeship with Walt Disney Productions. Following the creation of his first stop-motion short,Vincent, in 1982, Burton went on to developHansel and GretelandFrankenweeniefor Disney in the ’80s, with the latter leading to his firing.
Burton had been vocal about his poor experience working on Dumbo
Shortly afterBurton was fired by Disney forFrankenweenie’s dark tone, he landed his first feature film,Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, for Warner Bros, which started a partnership that continues throughBeetlejuice 2. Interestingly, Disney was a co-production company onThe Nightmare Before Christmasunder Touchstone Pictures, which was similar to 1994’s Ed Wood. Burton officially returned to Disney with 2010’s Alice in Wonderland, and the partnership continued with his stop-motion version ofFrankenweenie. Unfortunately,2019’sDumbocaused Burton’s complete split from Disney.
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Dumbo had a small splash at the box office, while the reception was underwhelming, with the live-action remake receiving 46% onRotten Tomatoes. The audience score was only two ticks higher, indicating that the retread didn’t capture the hearts of the majority of viewers. Burton had been vocal about his poor experience working on Dumbo, but his comments were also aimed at Disney as a whole.Burton spoke about his “troubled relationship with Disney"in 2023 after previously revealing that he was done working for Disney in any form afterDumbo.
What Tim Burton Has Said About Cutting Ties With Disney Before Beetlejuice 2
Burton Has Been Vocal About His Disney Relationship
FollowingDumbo’s failures,Tim Burton even considered retiring from his accomplished filmmaking career. That wasn’t the case, considering he went on to direct episodes of Netflix’sWednesday, but it shows how much his time onDumbohad negatively affected him. As for why Burton cut ties with Disney, he shared (viaDeadline) that his time onDumbowas like like “working in this big horrible circus,” comparing it to the plot of the movie itself. He referenced his handful of hirings and firings before admitting he was done with the studio.
The sequel also rejuvenated Burton’s passion for filmmaking, allowing him to revisit a story he had strongly connected with decades prior.
While working onWednesday, Burton decided tomakeBeetlejuice 2after so long. The sequel also rejuvenated Burton’s passion for filmmaking, allowing him to revisit a story he had strongly connected with decades prior.Beetlejuicewas a very personal project for Burton, so returning to that world with members of the original cast while blending new elements with Warner Bros. support allowed the filmmaker to find himself again. Who knows, maybe Burton will walk back his feelings about Disney, but more importantly,Beetlejuice 2seems to be the start of Burton’s new era of movies.
