Not only does Tim Burton admit thatBeetlejuice 2’s sandworms were intended to follow up the success of Warner Bros’Dune 2, but the sequel also gives the creatures some upgrades that more directly reflect the 2024 sci-fi film. Considering the1988Beetlejuicemovie endswith Geena Davis stopping a wedding by riding in on a sandworm, these creatures and their black-and-white striped design have always been a recognizable part of theBeetlejuiceiconography. Of course, it wasimpossible not to draw comparisons betweenBeetlejuice’s sandworms and the fantastical creatures from Frank Herbert’s novelsand David Lynch’s 1984Dunemovie.
The sandworms of the originalBeetlejuiceare first introduced when the recently deceased ghost Adam tries to leave his house, which transports him to thesandworm-infested sands of Saturn’s moon, Titan. The sandworms attack ghosts and the living alike if they happen to be transported to Saturn, with Lydia and Astrid being chased by a sandworm inBeetlejuice 2after going to the afterlife realm. While the appearance and nature of theBeetlejuicemovies’ sandworms are quite different from those in theDunefranchise, Burton still usedDune 2to help guide the creatures’ upgrades in the 2024 sequel.
Tim Burton Confirms Dune Inspiration For Sandworms During Beetlejuice 2 Commentary
Beetlejuice’s Sandworms Benefited From Dune’s Resurgence In Popularity
InBeetlejuice 2’s director’s commentary, Tim Burton gives insight into the return of the iconic sandworms and how the sequel’s approach was different. More directly,Burton admits thatBeetlejuice 2’s sandworm inclusion was intended to “ride on the coattails of Dune,“as Warner Bros. released Denis Villeneuve’sDunein October 2021 andDune: Part Twoin March 2024. Thesandworms inDune 2, especially, were a major talking point, as the sequel finally saw Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides ride a sandworm through the deserts of Arrakis. Given the continued sandworm hype,Beetlejuice 2was able to keep up WBD’s momentum.
$31.0 million
Beetlejuice(1988)
$74.8 million
Though Burton owns up to the sequels’ sandworm inspirations,Beetlejuice“riding on the coattails” ofDunealso appeared to be true for the 1988 movie. Herbert’s influentialDunenovels rose in popularity through the ‘60s and ‘70s, leading to David Lynch’s well-known film adaptation in 1984.Beetlejuicehit theaters only four years later, so it seems the sandworms' design, homeland, and appearance were inspired by the sci-fi franchise. With the resurgence inDune’s popularity in the early 2020s,Burton was able to latch onto that success to re-introduce his spookier, more fantastical-looking sandwormsinBeetlejuice 2’s long-awaited afterlife return.
How Beetlejuice 2 Upgrades The Sandworms
Some New Features Are Added To The Sandworms' Appearances
The sandworms aren’t too different inBeetlejuice 2than they were in the 1988 movie, though they are helped by some advancements in technology. The sandworms are still largely made with practical effects and stop-motion animation, though withsome digital enhancement used to integrate them into scenes and clean up certain details. The sandworm that appears inBeetlejuice 2’s endingcertainly has improved graphics from the original, and showcases more of its above-the-surface movements when Betelgeuse guides the creature like a matador.
There Are 2 Major Problems With Winona Ryder & Jenna Ortega’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Sandworm Scene
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sees the return of Saturn’s moons and the horrifying sandworms, yet the scene doesn’t stick to the first movie’s canon at all.
Additionally,Beetlejuice 2follows up onDune 2’s premise of learning to ride, summon, and attempt to control sandworms.Dune 2sees Paul finally ride sandworms, and they’re frequently summoned using a thumping device in the sand. In Burton’s movie, Jenna Ortega’s Astrid learns to summon a sandworm through theHandbook for the Recently Deceased, though, unlike Barbara, doesn’t ride it. The new similarities still continue throughBeetlejuice 2’s Easter eggof thesand vibrating to signal the sandworms’ approach, which is borrowed fromDune’s signature sandworm features.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Cast
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.
Beetlejuice
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular “bio-exorcist”, an obnoxious spirit who specializes in driving living occupants out of homes. When Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die suddenly, they pass into the spirit realm, and must stay in their home. However, in the living world, the Deetz family purchases the house and moves in, prompting the Maitlands to enlist the help of Beetlejuice to drive them away.
