Beetlejuice Beetlejuice stars explain why they were "surprised and shocked" when they saw the Tim Burton sequel for the first time
Sep. 4, 2024Exclusive: Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe also open up on their elaborate, Afterlife-appropriate makeup, and how it helped them get into character
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuicestars Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe say they were “surprised and shocked” by how much emotion was in the horror-comedy sequel when they saw it for the first time.
The duo play Afterlife dwellers Delores, Beetlejuice’s vengeful ex-wife, and Wolf Jackson, a try-hard B-movie actor who just can’t shake the detective role that made him famous, respectively. They’re self-proclaimed supporting players, which meant that they weren’t on set to see the movie’s more heart-wrenching scenes between Winona Ryder’s belovedLydia Deetz and her distant daughter Astrid(Jenna Ortega) play out.
“There were huge sections that, of course, I’m not involved in because I’m part of the ensemble,” Dafoe tellsGamesRadar+. “I think, just occasionally, there are surges of emotion that you don’t expect. I mean, it’s clear there’s lots of comedy and there’s lots of great gags and odd spins on things. But every once a while, in the family story, some kind of surge of emotion comes.”
Aside from Keaton as Beetlejuice, Bellucci and Dafoe definitely have the most elaborate makeup and prosthetics, which they say both say helped get them into the mindset of their characters.
“It’s nice to have a mask, something to work against or help you make what you’re doing specific or condition what you’re doing,” notes Dafoe. “It’s not fun because it takes a little while, but it makes everything very specific and particular.”
Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter
Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox
“I’m a woman, so I’m used to makeup, as all women are…” Bellucci begins, as Dafoe laughs and interjects: “Hey, I’m an actor, I’m used to makeup, too.”
“Well, I’m an actor and a woman,” Bellucci smiles. “I had three hours of makeup every day. But, you know, I knew that it was part of the game, actually, and it was very helpful to get into the character and to get into these beautiful sets, to wear those amazing costumes of Colleen Atwood. Tim loves to draw, so he would show us beautiful drawings of these characters in certain situations, too, and that was very helpful.”
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releases on September 6. In the meantime, check out our guide to the most excitingupcoming moviesheading our way.
I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim lands mixed reviews, but it’s still higher rated than one of The Hobbit movies
Barbie director Greta Gerwig’s “rock n' roll” Narnia movie for Netflix will film next year
Atari 7800+ review: “a retro console remake for the ‘80s kids”
