Maybe the name just had a nice ring to it? This clever reversal of the haunted house movie formula is brimming with so much macabre imagination, you must be dying to know what it was like to make it, which we shall reveal with the following behind the scenes facts, starting with a glimpse at the movie it could have been. Keaton spent just two weeks shooting all of his scenes and has since called it the favorite role he's ever played. In the space of five years, he went from total unknown to household name. Burtons world in Beetlejuice is typical of his early films: dramatic, odd, and otherworldly. I tell my brother, who texts back: "220, 221, whtvr it takes." 3. Fortunately, someone came to their senses and decided to keep the original name of Beetlejuice. In 1990, Burton hired Jonathan Gems to write Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian. RELATED:The 10 Greatest Lines From Beetlejuice. Michael Keaton : Betelgeuse (Beetlejuice) Supporting Cast. And the truth is, Im not boasting, but I was correct. Michael Keaton Only Spent Two Weeks On Set Interestingly, despite Michael Keaton receiving top billing for Beetlejuice, he appeared in less than 20% of the movie and only rocked up around the 25-minute mark. The thick black curls that helped make Michael Keaton look so manic in all those 1980s comedies, and which he then tore at as a tormented Bruce Wayne in Tim Burtons Batman movies, are long gone; but the satyr-like eyes are unchanged. Adam runs forward and stares after the wheel, which is now out of sight. Commenting on this piece? How can that be? Planes, Trains & Automobiles thats the movie I really wish Id been in! he says, citing the 1987 John Hughes classic starring John Candy and Steve Martin. While it does seem like the cast and crew had a whale of a time on set, it wasn't all roses and sunshine. In particular, we adjust weekly sales figures for the quarter once the total market estimates are published by the Digital Entertainment Group. Burton ended up defining his zany gothic visual style when he directed the film. For one, the Maitlands' car crash was meant to be far more gruesome than it was. Starring opposite Kim Basinger, Keaton was paid $5 million for the first film. Cue failed attempts at dressing up in bed sheets to frighten their unwanted housemates. This is major news for a sequel that's been long-rumored but never fulfilled until now. It was a time of nouveau riche excess everyone was known for their jets and their stuff. That's why we're here to uncover the nitty-gritty. Still not convinced, Keaton met with Burton a third time which is when something finally clicked. Michael Keaton For Clean and Sober: Satellite Awards 2008 Nominee Satellite Award: Best Classic DVD. Since Birdman, he has played the editor of the Boston Globes investigative journalism team in the 2015 ensemble movie Spotlight, which won a Best Picture Oscar; and he was a curveball choice as Ray Kroc, the man who turned McDonalds into a franchise, in 2016s too-little-seen The Founder. The market share is converted into a weekly sales estimate based on industry reports on the overall size of the market, including reports published in Media Play News. 7.51 h 32 min1988X-RayHDRPG Michael Keaton, Academy Award winner Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin and Winona Ryder star in director Tim Burton's comic twist on supernatural horror tales. Wait a minute, shes really smart and I need to talk to her about this, he says pointing at me, although I suspect this is more about John Hughes than my intellect. Then pops up a TV advert from Betelgeuse (Keaton), a wild-haired, decaying entity who just needs you to say his name threetimes in order to enter your world and help you with all of your newly-deceased needs. Dealing with the mental side of things? OK. You have to buy into the programme.. No, Kirk changed it from Danielovitch, I say. It didnt evolve into a comedy until Tim Burton became attached to direct and Michael Keaton signed on to star. For instance, while appearing on NBCs Late Night in 1999 to promote Sleepy Hollow, the director said the producers reacted like a deer caught in the headlights when he recommended legendary Rat Pack member Sammie Davis Jr. for Betelgeuse - an idea host Conan OBrien was actually amused by. Jun 29, 2022; no comments . I dont hate it, but its never my first choice. This is one of my favorite movies and I've thought a lot about this (but haven't done any research). Then the duo went their separate ways for decades. Keaton played the editor of the Boston Globes investigative journalism team in the 2015 movie Spotlight, not the editor of the paper itself, as originally stated. Michael Keaton is set to return for a Beetlejuice sequel, according to reports. Kayjaid 9 mo. In his breakthrough movie, 1983s Mr Mom, Keaton played a stay-at-home father at a time when such a concept was almost unheard of, and he played him as a man who has no idea how to do any of the stereotypically masculine jobs around the house; when asked if hes rewiring the house with 220 volts, Keaton adlibbed, 220, 221, whatever it takes. His iconic roles as Beetlejuice and Batman gave his career the proper boost to succeed today. As a result, his punishment was five years probation, counseling, and the requirement to register as an offender. But despite the fact that the Maitlands died by drowning, they appear dry in the netherworld. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Beetlejuice VHS Video Tape Movie Film Tim Burton Alec Baldwin Michael Keaton at the best online prices at eBay! Photograph: Fox/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock, I wrote a book about why those movies are the most important ever made. Jones has been arrested another two times, once in 2004 and again in 2010, for failing to update his offender status. It's such a fun, eccentric moment that sums up the tone of the movie beautifully. ago. My niece is called Hadley, he says, shaking my hand, and embarks on a winding digression about Ernest Hemingway, whose first wife was called Hadley, and various Hemingway descendants whom Keaton has met over the years, and do I know them (I do not), and how I really ought to meet them. I just thought, I know what Im doing, and I could be wrong, but in terms of what Tim and I discussed for the movie, I knew we were right on, he says now. The man truly is full of surprises. Most movies go through various rewrites and creative changes from what eventually becomes the final product and Beetlejuice was no different. Interestingly, an earlier draft of the script called for Betelgeuse to be an African-American man, so it would make sense to get someone of Davis' talent and caliber for the role. Id be happy having me as a kid. Since then, on the back of a major cult following for the film, fans have clamored to get a . There has been talk of a Beetlejuice 2 with Michael Keaton interested, but he has not officially signed on for a sequel. We discussed it. Theres me taking a pause: I really like life, doing things, having a normal life. He has made a career out of taking the unpredictable route: you can never guess his next role, and then he never plays it the way youd expect. So, here are 10 fascinating behind-the-scenes facts from the making of Beetlejuice. Thankfully, Burton saw the potential to make something else and pushed for all the changes. It was producer David Geffen who actually suggested Michael Keaton to the director, and it stuck. You have to ask yourself, OK, what kind of movie is this? "Michael Keaton is basically an ordinary guy, a regular human being," Burton, who reunited with his Beetlejuice star, said around Batman's release. Keaton's lead performance in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy and nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award, British Academy Film Award, and Academy Award for Best Actor. Fox Searchlight. Michael Keaton grew up just outside Pittsburgh, and his real name was and remains Michael Douglas; by the time he started acting, the other one had got there first. It's time to feed your thirst for Beetlejuice knowledge with behind-the-scenes secrets and all of the things that could have been. In that same oral history for CBC Radio, which was also part of a radio show called q, hosted by Tom Power, Larry Wilson (who also wrote 1991s The Addams Family) also talks about how they came up with the unique depiction of the hereafter as seen in Beetlejuice. by . Juice! theaters, 10.0 weeks average run per theater. If you would like your comment to be considered for inclusion on Weekend magazines letters page in print, please email weekend@theguardian.com, including your name and address (not for publication). The Oscar-nominated actor, who turned 70 on. As the actor recalled to Charlie Rose during a 2014 interview, he actually had a lot to do with the creation of Betelgeuse (as his name is actually spelled in the film). say the word "home" three times to escape Beetlejuice. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). In one routine, he talks about how just a look from a stranger on the streets of New York can send him into therapy; in another, he imagines what it would be like if the cartoon strips that used to come with gum packets explored philosophical concepts. There was a run of comedies, including Harold Ramis Multiplicity, in which he played a man who clones himself, that were smart and funny, but never going to set the world on fire. Adam leaps out of its way. If you want to see Beetlejuice in the flesh, book a flight to Universal Studios, where Beetlejuice's Rock And Roll Graveyard Revue has been playing since 1992. Then, Anjelica Huston was signed on, but she got sick before the shoot and couldnt make production. The film celebrated its 30th anniversary in March 2018. The proposed sequel was bizarre to say the least, but screenwriter Gems defended Burton's idea: "Tim thought it would be funny to match the surfing backdrop of a beach movie with some sort of German Expressionism, because they're totally wrong together.". As he's about to be crushed, he's suddenly jerked up to safety. My boredom level is fairly low. I think she understands me." Beetlejuice. Geena Davis was the only cast member who was actually eager to sign up for Beetlejuice. You know who else was almost cast in the film's iconic roles? Michael Keaton, Brat Pack fan? Academy Awards, USA 1989 Winner Oscar: Best Makeup Ve Neill Steve LaPorte Robert Short: . The bold credits above the line are the "above-the-line" credits, the other the "below-the-line" credits. Did they swap bat tales? Michael Keaton Improvised A Lot Of His Dialogue Despite playing the title character, Michael Keaton only has 17 minutes of screen time in Beetlejuice. Thus, we find it perfectly acceptable that Burton allowed star Michael Keaton to ad-lib his lines in the movie. Not so much, he says. He has played a great movie like Batman in 1989, Batman Returns in 1992 as Bruce Wayne, Need for Speed in 2014, Spider-Man: Homecoming as Adrian Toomes. From Beetlejuice to Batman to Birdman: the actor on superheroes, surprise roles and his second act. Presumably thats because he had to fight for space, whereas Sean was an only child and happy to fill the house with friends? The final scene of Beetlejuice is sort of an epilogue. A scene-stealer that plays the title role in a film? It's now been well over three decades (35 years in March 2023, actually) since we've seen the black-and-white striped suit, green hair, and demonic clown face of everyone's favorite house haunter: Beetlejuice. how much did michael keaton make for beetlejuice. Keaton literally spits out his coffee with laughter. The director was not going to take no for an answer, and Keaton was asked to meet with him again for another chat where the actor sought a better explanation of Burtons vision. I said I want hair that looks like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket. And I said I want mold because Tim said he lives under rocks,' Keaton recalled. Apparently, Michael Keaton also contributed to that distinct idea, saying that the afterlife should looks like some unemployment office that implements an endless bureaucracy [from which] youre never going to get what you need.. Before Beetlejuice was settled on as the final name of the movie, there was a bit of back and forth regarding what it should be called. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Michael Keaton: My boredom level is fairly low., Michael Keaton: There was a lot of bad taste in the 90s and I contributed to that, With Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice (1988). Rupert Murdoch, Fox Corp. 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Michael Keaton is an American actor who has a net worth of $40 million. Michael Keaton originally starred in the titular role (Betelguese) way back in 1988. They possess the bunch into performing a dance number to the aforementioned Calypso hit by Harry Belafonte, which ends with their shrimp meals forming beastly hands that attack them, pushing them back. Luckily, Beetlejuice would up winning that battle, but there was another person from the Beetlejuice cast who had his own concerns about the films potential. Your culture and entertainment cheat-sheet. Adam flings himself suddenly to the right, but trips into the path of the gear. Finally, Betelgeuse was a real nefarious and unlikable character. Once we got something mixed in the mail, something from one of the [acting] unions, and I had to return it to him and we talked about it then. 13. This . Despite only being shown for a measly 17.5 minutes out of a possible 92, Michael managed to improvise almost all of his lines. He writes reviews, features, and lists for Screen Rant and Game Rant. New York,