It seems that every year there's renewed hope that a "Beetlejuice" sequel will finally get off the ground, but as more and more time passes, the prospect of the follow-up actually materializing looks grimmer and grimmer. Now, director Tim Burton has given an update on the proposed project, and while he's still interested in making it happen one day, he has some sobering news for fans: It's not happening yet.

That was the gist of Burton's response when asked about "Beetlejuice 2" by Collider in a recent interview. While the director told the site that he has the support of his original stars, Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, all the stories that have churned through Hollywood's rumor mill over the years about the sequel's many alleged stops and starts are just not true. (And no, he isn't trading in Keaton for frequent collaborator Johnny Depp, either.)

"This is the thing, it's something that I'm interested in," Burton told Collider, bashing incorrect reports like the aforementioned switcheroo. " ... [T]he fact of it is I have talked to Michael and I have talked to Winona, I've talked to a few people. It's something that I really would like to do in the right circumstances, but it's one of those films where it has to be right. It's not a kind of a movie that cries out [for a sequel], it's not the Beetlejuice trilogy. So it's something that if the elements are right—because I do love the character and Michael's amazing as that character, so yeah we'll see. But there's nothing concrete yet."

That's a bit disappointing, especially in light of the news that "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" scribe (and Burton's "Dark Shadows" screenwriter) Seth Grahame-Smith had agreed to take a pass at a "Beetlejuice 2" script just last year. But apparently, nothing ever came of that collaboration, and perhaps that's for the best -- if it wasn't right, there's no use is resurrecting a beloved character like Beetlejuice if the project won't be on par with the original product.

So will "Beetlejuice 2" ever actually happen? At this point, it looks like it may not. But never say never -- or at least make sure Burton, the true authority on the subject, is the one who's saying it.

[via: Collider]

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