Juno, the shrewd caseworker and smoker in 1988’s “Beetlejuice,” said it best, “Never trust the living.”
An investigation is underway in Vermont after a lamppost and art sculpture were stolen from the set of “Beetlejuice 2” being filmed in East Corinth, about 25 miles southeast of Montpelier, the state capital, Vermont State Police said last week.
Early on July 14, the state police received a tip-off that someone had removed a light pole topped with a “distinctive pumpkin ornament” and placed it in the back of a pickup truck, covered it with a tarp, and fled the scene.
Three days later, cinema officials reported a second theft: a 150-pound abstract art statue that was stolen from a graveyard setting.
The original film, a classic horror comedy directed by Tim Burton, follows a dead couple who haunt their home after strangers move in. They enlist the help of Beetlejuice, the horrific and mischievous character played by Michael Keaton, but things go wrong when they discover he can’t be controlled.
The stolen piece of art looks similar to the one seen in the original film created by Delia Dietz, a struggling sculptor played by Kathryn O’Hara. In the movie, her creepy artwork comes to life to witness Beetlejuice’s wedding to Lydia Dietz, Delia’s daughter, played by Winona Ryder.
It was not clear if the thefts would affect filming or if cinema officials would increase security measures when filming. The Warner Bros. movie studio did not respond. Who is behind the second part immediately asked for comment on Monday.
And while thefts are a concern, the Hollywood writers’ strike has also affected filming. reported variety. Seven Days, Vermont’s alternative weekly newspaper, He said that the sequel’s exterior scenes They were filmed mostly in the state while the interior scenes were filmed elsewhere. The newspaper also said that filming began shortly after the devastating floods that swept the state this month.
Few details are known about the sequel, though Keaton, O’Hara, and Ryder will all reprise their roles and Burton will once again direct. “Wednesday” star Gina Ortega will play the daughter of Ryder’s character, According to Variety.
The movie is expected to be released sometime next year.
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