Some of us got so caught up in the hype for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice that we almost neglected to wonder where key characters from the 1988 original were. No, not Charles Deetz, who we knew was killed off from the trailer. We’re talking about the Maitlands, Adam and Barbara. So, is it strange and unusual that Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis didn’t return for the sequel? Beetlejuice director Tim Burton doesn’t think so.

Speaking with People, Tim Burton said that the Maitlands weren’t necessary for the story of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, noting that there was only so much fan service he would allow. “I think the thing was for me I didn’t want to just tick any boxes. So even though they were such an amazing integral part of the first one, I was focusing on something else.” Concerning what that is, Burton added, “A sequel like this, it really had to do with the time. That was my hook into it, the three generations of mother, daughter, granddaughter. And that [would] be the nucleus of it. I couldn’t have made this personally back in 1989 or whatever.”

As far as who has returned for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Tim Burton brought back Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara, who is earning praise for her second go as Delia Deetz. Outside of Baldwin and Davis – whose absence is apparently explained in the sequel – it wouldn’t make any sense for any of the original’s supporting cast members to return, and, unfortunately, many – including Glenn Shadix (Otho) and Sylvia Sidney (Juno) – have since passed away.

But Tim Burton seems to have done just fine without the Maitlands, as Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is earning his highest praise in at least a decade. Our own Eric Walkuski wrote that this sequel is “an enjoyable, fast-paced bit of lunacy from Tim Burton that should please the many who’ve waited decades for its arrival.” And if that doesn’t do it for you, be sure to check out our interviews with O’Hara and newcomers Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci and Justin Theroux.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice received a standing ovation at its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and will hit theaters on September 6th.

How do you feel about Tim Burton writing out Adam and Barbara from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice? Are you seeing the movie on opening weekend?

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