“[Crazy], I Know”: Winona Ryder Shares Her Hot Take On Beetlejuice & Lydia’s Relationship (2024)

As they finally gear up to reunite 36 years later, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star Winona Ryder shares her thoughts on Lydia's relationship with the titular ghost. Ryder starred alongside Michael Keaton in Tim Burton's 1988 horror comedy as a young girl lost in life whose peculiar nature allows her to see the dead. Reuniting with Keaton and co-star Catherine O'Hara, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sees Lydia returning to her former home in the wake of tragedy, only for her loved ones to be dragged into even more supernatural capers.

With Lydia and Betelgeuse about to reunite on the big screen once more when Beetlejuice Beetlejuice manifests in theaters on September 6, Ryder shared a surprising takeaway of the characters' relationship to ComicBook.com. After touching on how Burton had kept discussions surrounding the sequel going with her even when it wasn't in active development, a brief joke about the character led to Ryder confessing she felt romance could blossom between Betelgeuse and Lydia. Check out Ryder's explanation below:

[Tim] he was sort of doing it with everyone, but it very sort of top secret: I would go over to his house and like we would talk, and he'd always say “Life happens! And you find yourself and you're older…” [It's] sort of, I think, a lot of what he's [Tim Burton] gone through in his life... And everyone evolves – except for maybe Beetlejuice, maybe [laughs]... He's like endgame for me. I totally want them [Beetlejuice and Lydia] to be truly together! It's [makes a gesture indicating "crazy"] I know, but...

Is There A Romance Between Betelgeuse and Lydia?

The pair's bond has been explored in many different ways.

Within the events of the original Beetlejuice movie, Lydia is simply a means to one of Betelgeuse's ends to break free and exist on the mortal plain permanently. While other Beetlejuice adaptations have given him different motivations for wanting to be brought to life, the movie itself just has the ghost with the most saying he wants to get out of the Afterlife, and given his treatment of the female cast, it can be assumed he saw Lydia as nothing more than a tool. However, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice's marketing may be hinting at a change in their dynamic.

As revealed by early promotional clips, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sees Keaton having focused on Lydia for decades since their last meeting, including scenes of him serenading her to get her attention, and a unique connection between the pair. Furthermore, both are now facing difficulties in their lives, with Lydia widowed, at odds with daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega), and romantically involved with her shady producer, Rory (Justin Theroux), while Betelgeuse is trapped in a desk job in the afterlife, pursued by his ex-wife, Delores (Monica Bellucci). Though reluctant allies, the sequel may find the pair discovering common ground.

Though Ryder may feel defensive of her perspective, past characterizations by both viewers and other creatives have shown that there are varying ways to explore the pair's relationship. From a ghost trying to find people who see him to a prankster with a soft spot for a friend, the character has been framed through other devices, remaining loyal to a handful of core elements while exploring who he can be. And though Burton and Keaton are adamant that the ghost hasn't changed, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice's more character-oriented story may see even the bio-exorcist has more to him beneath the surface.

Source: ComicBook.com

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

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PG-13

Comedy

Supernatural

Fantasy

Horror

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.

Director

Tim Burton

Release Date

September 6, 2024

Studio(s)

KatzSmith Productions , Tim Burton Productions , Warner Bros. Pictures , Plan B Entertainment

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Writers

Alfred Gough , Miles Millar , Mike Vukadinovich , Seth Grahame-Smith , Michael McDowell , Larry Wilson

Cast

Michael Keaton , Jenna Ortega , Winona Ryder , Monica Bellucci , Willem Dafoe , Justin Theroux , Catherine O'Hara

Runtime

104 Minutes

Main Genre

Comedy