Tim Burton is a multi-talented artist who has worked in various mediums ranging from sculpture to children’s books to movies, the latter for which he is probably most famous. Even still, does Burton have another cinematic aspiration in the works to stand tall alongside classics like Batman, Edward Scissorhands or Ed Wood? Or is he sticking with other types of projects?
As a testament to Burton’s continually evolving versatility, he recently undertook directing duties for a Netflix series for the very first time, with 2022’s Wednesday. The spin-off series that focuses on Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family proved to be a hit with critics and fans alike, marking a minor career renaissance for Burton.
You see, by changing the scale of the director’s scope to that of the small screen, Wednesday has managed to win audiences all over again following recent Burton-associated projects that were considered disappointments, such as the live-action Dumbo remake and Alice Through the Looking Glass (for which he served as producer). So, given this renewed interest, will Burton return to the big screen once more? Or will he stay in the realm of TV for the time being?
What is Tim Burton’s next project?
For Tim Burton’s next project, long-time fans should be ecstatic to hear he is attempting to go “back to the basics” by helming the sequel to one of his most beloved films with the forthcoming Beetlejuice 2. As Burton explained in a recent interview (via People):
“I do enjoy all the people I’ve worked with. On this last one, Beetlejuice 2, I really enjoyed it […] I tried to strip everything and go back to the basics of working with good people and actors and puppets. It was kind of like going back to why I liked making movies.”
The sequel will reunite some of the cast as well, with Michael Keaton returning as Beetlejuice. Winona Ryder will also reprise her role as Lydia Deetz, who in the first movie was a gothic teen character who befriends the ghost the most. Ryder also had a career revival thanks to Netflix due to her iconic role in the streaming service’s flagship series, Stranger Things.
And wouldn’t you know it? Wednesday‘s Jenna Ortega is also slated to appear in the movie in a brand new role alongside other newcomers Willem Dafoe and Justin Theroux.
Beetlejuice 2, which miraculously wrapped up filming just days before the 2023 Screen Actors Guild strike commenced, is expected to hit theaters sometime in September of 2024.