Summary

• Lydia's return in Beetlejuice 2 will show her transformation into a "lame" adult, a stark contrast from her cool teen self.
• Tim Burton's personal identification with Lydia's character hints at a deep emotional core for Beetlejuice 2.
• Lydia's new role as a mother and generational divide will provide a different interpretation of her character.

New details from director Tim Burton about Lydia’s return in Tim Burton’s 2024 movie Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Ryder rose to fame in the late 1980s for her starring role as the gothic teen and horror movie icon, so her return to the beloved character after 36 years is greatly anticipated.

In addition to releasing the first official solo image of Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice as well as a group shot of Ryder’s Lydia, Jenna Ortega’s Astrid, Catherine O’Hara’s Delia, and Justin Theroux’s Rory, Tim Burton gave some context about what to expect from the returning characters in Beetlejuice 2. The director told EW that a death in the family is what kicks off Beetlejuice 2’s plot, with Lydia and the Deetzes reuniting in Winter River for the funeral. However, he also teased that Lydia’s return will have audiences see her in a somewhat different light from the 1988 movie, which may be a hard pill to swallow.

Tim Burton Revealed That Lydia Won't Be As "Cool" In Beetlejuice 2 As She Was In The Original Movie

According to Tim Burton, Lydia will face the age-old dilemma of going from “cool teenager to lame adult” in Beetlejuice 2. Lydia was a fan-favorite character widely beloved for her rebellious but kind nature, gothic style, and relaxed demeanor as a teen, so the idea that she may not be as cool as an adult in Beetlejuice 2 is difficult to accept. However, Burton elaborated that he “identified with the Lydia character, but then you get to all these years later, and you take your own journey, going from cool teenager to lame adult, back and forth again,” suggesting Lydia’s transformation is rooted in his own experiences over the past few decades.

Burton still remains one of the most revered gothic filmmakers in Hollywood, so it’s hard to believe that Lydia wouldn’t still retain some of her cool factor if she’s a reflection of the filmmaker. Of course, it’ll still be difficult to see her in a way where audiences are supposed to question whether or not she’s “cool,” unlike in the 1988 Beetlejuice movie. Jenna Ortega even explained that she struggled with her character Astrid rejecting Lydia’s interests and thinking she wasn’t cool because of how much she personally enjoyed Ryder’s character.

However, with Lydia now being the mother to a teenager, there’s a new generational divide that was bound to create a different interpretation of the character, which is exactly what provides the emotional core of Beetlejuice 2's story. Lydia may still be “cool” to original audience and those of her generation, but Jenna Ortega’s character serves as a reminder that what makes someone “cool” in one era doesn’t always translate to their kids. As iconic as Lydia may be to audience , it’ll be strange to see her adult counterpart struggle with not being fully accepted by her daughter in Beetlejuice 2.

Tim Burton Identifying With Lydia's Beetlejuice 2 Character Parallels One Of His Best Movies

Director Tim Burton mentioned that he identified with the Lydia character and her growth from teenager to adult, which bodes well for Beetlejuice 2’s success. His ion projects as well as those with protagonists he personally identifies with have often yielded some of Tim Burton’s best movies, including his 1990 classic Edward Scissorhands. Often considered to be his greatest movie, Edward Scissorhands’ titular character was noted for his many parallels to Burton’s upbringing and identity as an outcast, with this emotional connection doubtlessly being a driving factor in its style, pathos, and impact.

Considering how beloved Edward Scissorhands remains within Burton’s filmography, the notion that he identifies with Lydia means Beetlejuice 2 could provide a similar personal outlet with a touching story. Much like Edward Scissorhands, Lydia Deetz is still one of Tim Burton’s greatest movie characters, and there’s little that could take away from her iconic legacy in Beetlejuice 2 – even if she loses some of her “cool” factor with Astrid. If Edward Scissorhands is any indication, Burton’s care for grown-up Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice 2 will translate to plenty of heart, complexity, and authenticity regarding her growth and original characterization.

If Edward Scissorhands is any indication, Burton’s care for grown-up Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice 2 will translate to plenty of heart, complexity, and authenticity regarding her growth and original characterization.

Beetlejuice 2's First Image Of The Deetz Family Perfectly Highlights Lydia's Biggest New Changes

Lydia Deetz doesn’t seem to have changed a bit in Beetlejuice 2, and the first image of the Deetzes in the sequel suggests she’s still the outcast in her family. Confirmed to be attending the funeral of an undisclosed Deetz family member (whom numerous theories speculate is Lydia’s father Charles Deetz), the image sees O’Hara’s Delia in black with red gloves and a white handkerchief, Ortega’s Astrid wearing a black coat over a striped purple dress, Ryder’s Lydia in a black-clad outfit, and Theroux’s Rory in a black suit with white accents. Still the only character exclusively wearing black, Lydia’s costume differences in Beetlejuice 2 tease her new conflict.

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

While audience may have tried to emulate the goth look of teenage Lydia from Beetlejuice, this black-clad style seems to not have translated to her daughter, Astrid – proving how different Jenna Ortega’s Beetlejuice 2 character is from her Wednesday Addams. Instead, the color of Astrid’s socks and dress peeking out from her coat seems to be a form of rebellion against Lydia, and aligns more closely with Delia’s color-accentuated funeral attire. This appears to suggest that Astrid could find herself identifying more with Delia than Lydia in Beetlejuice 2, reversing the dynamic of Lydia rejecting Delia in the 1988 horror-comedy.

Lydia's Beetlejuice 2 Differences Are Great News For Delia Deetz's Franchise Legacy

It will certainly be difficult to break away from the near-universal perspective that Lydia is the coolest living character in Beetlejuice, but this does open the door to shed a new light on how audiences see Catherine O’Hara’s Delia Deetz. Of course, Delia has always been a fan-favorite character for her neuroticism, eccentricity, and O’Hara’s impeccable wit, but identifying with Lydia in Beetlejuice meant audiences were similarly led to read Delia as more antagonistic. With over 35 years having ed since Beetlejuice’s original ending, Delia is expected to have changed quite a bit, and Astrid may be key to showing this.

Delia has always been a fan-favorite character for her neuroticism, eccentricity, and O’Hara’s impeccable wit, but identifying with Lydia in Beetlejuice meant audiences were similarly led to read Delia as more antagonistic.

If Astrid ends up finding herself relating to Delia more than Lydia, then O’Hara’s returning Beetlejuice character will be seen in a much more irable light than in the 1988 film. Consequently, original audience may find themselves questioning if Delia was as bad as Lydia thought she was in Beetlejuice. Ultimately, it seems Beetlejuice 2 will conclude with the idea that Lydia, Delia, and Astrid are all “cool” and iconic in their own ways, with each also being humbled by what the others’ generations perceive as being uncool.

Source: EW