It’s showtime! Tim Burton’s highly anticipated comedy-horror sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is finally here, reuniting us with our beloved Betelgeuse, Lydia, and Delia Deetz almost 40 years after the ‘Ghost with the Most’ first stepped foot in Winter River. But as much as I absolutely loved seeing those all too familiar characters again, after watching the new sequel I have to admit that the stand out has to be one of the movie’s newcomers - Lydia’s daughter Astrid Deetz played by Jenna Ortega.
Moody, gothic, and with a ‘nobody understands me’ shaped chip on her shoulder, Astrid reminds me of everything I love about Winona Ryder’s 15-year-old Lydia in the first movie. But with so much talk about a potential third movie, a Beetlejuice 3 if you will, I have to admit that Astrid’s character arc has made me think we need a spin-off for her instead of a threequel. And I know exactly what it could be.
*Spoiler warning* We will be diving into Beetlejuice 2 spoilers from here on in - you have been warned. If you haven't seen it yet, check out our Beetlejuice Beetlejuice review for our verdict on the sequel.
Astrid Deetz: Paranormal ghost hunter
When we first meet Astrid, she is at boarding school screening her mother’s calls, who she has saved as ‘alleged mother’. Does this remind you of anyone? We quickly learn that there is a huge rift between the mother and daughter duo and Astrid doesn't approve or even believe in Lydia's ghost-hunting business. However, the youngest Deetz came into her own upon visiting the old Maitland home and encountering a dead boy on her own adventure, coming to the realization that she can see ghosts too.
Alas, Astrid’s new beau turned out to be a serial killer who planned to use her as a life source. But, in one of his more heroic acts, Beetlejuice eliminated that issue and sent the boy to the great unknown. That’s where her sidequest ended, but I can't shake the feeling that I want more from Astrid.
As you saw in our Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s ending explained, Astrid's story is left open-ended so there is space to continue her story. So now I'm hoping she gets a spin-off where she's a paranormal investigator like her mother. Just imagine it, Astrid could use her powers to hunt down bad ghouls and to help lost ghosts just as Lydia did in the 1988 flick.
Make way Wednesday
Of course, we cannot forget Ortega’s other teen horror drama series, Netflix’s Wednesday. This Addams Family spin-off launched in 2022 and introduced us to Ortega’s modern take on the morbid little girl with only homicide on her mind. The first season was a huge success and gained a strong teen following and Wednesday season 2 is now on its way where we will see our protagonist hopefully take on more monster foes.
But, you have to admit that, as brilliant as it is the show does feel a little pre-teen at times, for more mature watchers heading into their late teens, the scares can feel a little lackluster. This creates a nice little teen horror-shaped hole for a new series or string of movies to take hold, adding to the evergrowing subgenre.
More teen horror
Now, I know what you’re thinking, the ghost hunter archetype has been done so many times before with The Conjuring, Grave Encounters, and more. But I’m not talking about disturbing R-rated horror, I want Astrid to star in a good old teen scream. Over the years it feels like new horror releases have been trying to one-up one another in terms of how scary and violent they can get. We must not forget that it's not all about the gore, we need relatable storylines and protagonists too, like Astrid.
In the scene where Astrid first enters her new friend’s house and walks past his parents, who both have their backs to her, we can feel that something is wrong. Later when these illusive parents are revealed to be dead, it's confirmed Astrid is a medium like her mom, sending a chill down my spine due to what this means for the character. It reminded me of the 2019 movie Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or the scene in IT: Chapter 2 when Mrs. Kersh invites Beverly in for a cup of tea, only for the old woman to be Pennywise the Clown in disguise.
On top of this, with Stranger Things season 5 on the horizon bringing a close to a huge teen horror franchise, the door is left wide open for an Astrid spin-off. Also, I considerably enjoyed how the Beetlejuice sequel explored the world of the afterlife and all of its weird and wonderful inhabitants a little more this time, something that an Astrid spin-off could take further advantage of.
All in all, if Beetlejuice Beetlejuice marks the end of Keaton’s time as the bio-exorcist, then I feel like the sequel was a pretty good send-off. But if anything is to come from the new movie, it has to be an Astrid-related spin-off. Let's face it, Jenna Ortega is our generation's scream queen after all.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is out in theaters now. For more, check out all upcoming horror movies on the way or keep up to date with our list of 2024 movie release dates.
