Summary

• The new Beetlejuice 2 trailer teases a funeral scene, which doesn't seem to include Lydia's mysterious mother.
• Lydia's mother has been a long-standing mystery after 1988's Beetlejuice, with her fate being left unaddressed.
• Winona Ryder's character's journey in Beetlejuice 2 as a mother adds depth and complexity, highlighting the importance of addressing her own family backstory.

The trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s first trailer.

The first trailer for Beetlejuice 2 primarily focuses on the returning Deetz family , as it kicks off with Ortega’s Astrid riding around Winter River before reintroducing Delia, Lydia, and Beetlejuice himself. Delia and Lydia’s returns are highlighted during a teased funeral scene, as the family gathers in Winter River following the death of Jeffrey Jones’ Charles Deetz. While the funeral sets up the potential for other missing original characters to appear in Beetlejuice 2, the teases for this sequence so far seem to indicate that one long-standing Deetz mystery will remain unresolved.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will premiere in theaters on September 6, 2024. Beetlejuice (1988) is available to rent or purchase from digital retailers like Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.

Beetlejuice 2's Funeral Scene Tease Suggests Lydia's Mother Will Never Be Revealed

It seems only the original Deetzes, Astrid & Rory attend the funeral

Among the biggest mysteries in Beetlejuice is the fate of Lydia’s mother, who was never directly mentioned in the 1988 movie. When the Deetz family was introduced, Lydia made sure that the Maitlands knew Delia was her stepmother, not her biological mother. However, the characters never revealed whether Lydia’s mother was dead or alive. If she was alive, then the question remained of why Lydia didn’t live with or speak to her; if she was dead, it would have made narrative sense for Lydia to ask the Maitlands about communicating with her mother’s ghost.

When the Deetz family was introduced, Lydia made sure that the Maitlands knew Delia was her stepmother, not her biological mother.

Consequently, there are still hopes that the fate of Lydia’s mother will finally be addressed by Beetlejuice 2’s returning characters. An answer about her fate can still be given, but it seems increasingly unlikely that she’ll physically appear in the movie – dead or alive. The most seamless way to have Lydia’s mother appear in Beetlejuice 2 would be at Charles’ funeral if she’s alive, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone but the original Deetzes, Astrid, and Rory there in the trailer. Furthermore, if Lydia’s mother is dead, she’s stuck in the house she died in, so she can’t show up as a ghost at the Winter River home.

Lydia's Beetlejuice 2 Story Means The Sequel Still Needs To Address Her Mother's Fate

Lydia's journey with motherhood needs to address her own mother

With Winona Ryder’s Beetlejuice 2 story taking her character into new territory as the mother of a teenage daughter, her own family backstory will be incredibly important as an influence on her parenting approach and insecurities. Jenna Ortega teased that Astrid and Lydia “butt heads” often, and that their characters provide an emotional story for Beetlejuice 2 based on their complex family dynamics. Therefore, with Lydia’s conflicts regarding motherhood being crucial to her sequel story, her relationship with her own mother and family context is important to finally address.

With Lydia’s conflicts regarding motherhood being crucial to her sequel story, her relationship with her own mother and family context is important to finally address.

This is especially important now that Lydia has lost her father in Beetlejuice 2, as she could potentially end up searching the afterlife for the ghost of Charles. While Catherine O’Hara’s Delia has become the primary maternal figure in her life, Lydia still has to contend with the fates of her parents and how they have impacted her approach to her relationship with her daughter. Whether Lydia’s mother is dead or alive in Beetlejuice 2’s timeline, the Tim Burton sequel at least needs to address the backstory of their relationship.