The world premiere of Tim Burton‘s Beetlejuice Beatlejuice, featuring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, and Monica Bellucci, will be the opening night film of the 81st Venice Film Festival.
On Wednesday, August 28th at Sala Grande, the Festival announced that the Warner Bros sequel will be screened out of competition. Venice is set to bring back its iconic glitzy red carpet, which was absent at last year’s Lido event because of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Warner Bros. will begin the international distribution of Beetlejuice 2 on September 4, with domestic launches commencing on September 6.
According to Venice Film Festival Chief Alberto Barbera today, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice marks the long-awaited return of one of the most iconic characters of Tim Burton’s cinema, but also the happy confirmation of the extraordinary visionary talent and the masterly realization of one of the most fascinating auteurs of his time. The Venice Biennale is honored and proud to host the world premiere of a work that features a surprising swing of creative imagination and driving hallucinatory rhythm.”
Tim Burton also made a comment of this wonderful news, “I’m very excited by this. It means a lot to me to have the world premiere of this film at the Venice Film Festival.”
Following an unexpected tragedy, the Deetz family returns home to Winter River as part of the sequel to Beetlejuice, a classic 1988 supernatural comedy that Burton created. Lydia (Ryder)’s life is transformed when her rebellious teenage daughter Astrid (Ortega) finds the mysterious model of the town in the attic and accidentally opens the portal to the Afterlife.
Burton previously received a Career Achievement Golden Lion in 2007 and has presented two films at Venice Film Festival, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Corpse Bride. Keaton has more recently been on the Lido with eventual Best Picture Oscar winners Spotlight and Birdman.
This year’s Venice runs from August 28-September 7 with French star Isabelle Huppert acting as jury president. Due for Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement are Australian filmmaker Peter Weir and American actress Sigourney Weaver.
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Here’s the trailer of the film.