Winona Ryder on returning to her role in ‘Beetlejuice 2’ after 35 years

Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” | Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Winona Ryder admitted that it entails a “different yet beautiful feeling” to come back to her role as Lydia Deetz in the “Beetlejuice” franchise that earned her a name in Hollywood almost 36 years ago. 

INQUIRER.net obtained a copy of Ryder’s interview in which she shared that she felt a sort of “terror” in playing Lydia again in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the long-awaited sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 film.

“I’ve never returned to a role. I’ve done a series, but that’s very different. I mean, this is returning to something—I don’t even know how many years; I was 15 when I made it, so it’s a lifetime. There is an element of terror that I think we all had,” she expressed. 

Aside from Ryder, Michael Keaton will also reprise his titular role, as will Catherine O’Hara, who played Lydia’s stepmother, Delia, in the first movie.

“I think we all knew the only way that it could work was if Tim was directing and Michael and Catherine were available to do it,” she said.

The “Stranger Things” actress remarked that they all felt very safe to come back, describing their return as a “really beautiful experience in creative chaos, which is a wonderful place to be.”

Ryder also underscored that the original cast members eventually “found their rhythm,” given their teamwork.

Since the franchise occupies a special place in popular culture, the “Edward Scissorhands” actress assured the viewers that “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” would exceed their expectations.

“Their expectations are probably extremely high, but I feel very confident that it will match and exceed expectations. It certainly did mine, and mine are way up there. It’s a great time and it absolutely deserves to be seen on the big screen. And I literally think every generation can find something in it that they’ll really appreciate,” Ryder affirmed. 

Meanwhile, in a separate interview, Burton, Keaton, and O’Hara also shared their feelings about returning to the “Beetlejuice” world after all these years.

“I was nervous, really nervous, because the choice that I made was a big leap. It was a risky move that happened to have worked. So then, you think, ‘Oh geez, can I pull that off again after all these years?’ I think there was way more pressure on this one—we didn’t really want to mess this up. I was very nervous about it. But we hope we get there. I think we did,” said Keaton.

Deetz family in ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ | Photo Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Ent. Inc. All rights reserved.

“It’s great when you see people that you haven’t seen for a while, and then you go back into it,” says Burton. “I didn’t realize it’s been like decades. You know, it felt like yesterday, and it’s quite amazing when that happens. It was great. Honestly, it was strangely emotional seeing them all together again. But that’s what made it a special thing,” added Burton.

O’Hara shared that “she tried to recall what the first movie meant to her,” as it was the set where she met her husband, production designer Bo Welch.

In the upcoming sequel, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River after an unexpected family tragedy.

The original cast will be joined by newcomers Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Belluci, and Willem Dafoe. 

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” creeps into Philippine cinemas on September 4.