If you live in the year 2025, or any year after 1989, then chances are you know what Beetlejuice is. As both a classic and a family favorite, Beetlejuice has been a part of pop culture for a long time and has earned its rightful place at the top of “The Halloween Classics.” As of recent, Beetlejuice has made its way back to fame since its sequel, “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice” was released.  So in celebration of its recent popularity, let’s learn about the different variations of Beetlejuice together!

Beetlejuice(1988).

Tim Burton created the first variation of Beetlejuice in the mid-80s. It featured famous actors such as Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, and Cathrine O’Hara. The story is focused on a ghost couple(Barbara and Adam) and a family(The Deetz) that had just moved into their house. The couple decides to try and scare the new family out of their house and summon Beetlejuice, a crusty, moldy, self-proclaimed exorcist. After the couple does this, they immediately regret it and try to keep him away to protect Lydia, the daughter of the family. This backfires, and Beetlejuice gets a hold of her. He creates a wedding ceremony for him and Lydia so that he can get to the real world. The couple fights to save Lydia and manages to throw Beetlejuice back into the afterlife. The Deetz and ghost couple end on good terms and Beetlejuice is stuck back where he began.

One of the things that separates this film from the rest of the Beetlejuice franchise is that Beetlejuice only has 17 minutes of screen time. While this can make viewers feel confused or even frustrated, this movie is still the first sighting and popularization of the character himself, giving it a sense of nostalgia and charm.

Beetlejuice: The Musical Production. (2019)

This production of Beetlejuice has the same plot as the first film we mentioned but presents itself as a musical with an entirely different cast. Beetlejuice sports significantly greener hair with dark roots while Lydia has a more modern gothic look. One cool thing to note is that one of the songs in the production is about how Beetlejuice does not want to marry Lydia out of attraction but to use her as a “Green card to get to the living world.”  The song itself feels as if it’s made specifically for “those fans”(aka people who assumed things about Lydia and Beetlejuice’s relationship). This musical is still performed on Broadway with a constantly evolving cast and touches of modernization.

Beetlejuice Cartoon (1989)

The Beetlejuice Cartoon was created by Warner Bros and broadcasted on a family channel controlled by Fox in 1989. It has a total of 24 episodes. Though it is not as popular as the other versions of the story, its quirky art style and smooth animation make this show a hidden gem.

What really sets this version of Beetlejuice apart from the other versions is that Lydia and Beetlejuice are best friends in this series. In this version, there is no ghost couple to summon Beetlejuice. Instead, Lydia is able to summon Beetlejuice without having the instruction to do so, and can even go back and forth between life and the after life. Another unique thing is the show’s whimsical aesthetic. It has sort of a child-like feeling to it, while still being able to be seen as “cool” or “different”.

Conclusion

Beetlejuice has had many different variations (we can all agree at this point) but one thing that brings them all together is the creativity that is neatly weaved into each one. Rest assured, as time passes, these shows will be part of Halloween and spooky themes for years to come.