Seth Grahame-Smith Gives Update on BEETLEJUICE Sequel; Says Film Will Be a True Sequel Set 26 or 27 Years After the Original

Director Tim Burton looks to be returning to his comedic roots with his upcoming film Dark Shadows.  The first trailer premiered the other day, and the main comparison that came to mind tone-wise when watching the trailer was Burton’s masterwork Beetlejuice.  The ghoulishly funny 1988 film is a classic, and rumors of a sequel have lingered for quite a few years now.  We got a brief update from Burton back in January, when he confirmed that his Dark Shadows screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith was working on a screenplay.

Steve got to speak with Grahame-Smith earlier today at WonderCon where the screenwriter was promoting Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and he gave an update on the Beetlejuice sequel confirming that Michael Keaton would return to star and Burton would produce.  He also revealed that the film will take place 26 or 27 years after the original, and teased what the premise might involve.  Hit the jump to see what he had to say.

Grahame-Smith admitted he hasn’t had the chance to sit down and write the Beetlejuice follow-up just yet (he’s got a lot on his plate at the moment), but he did confirm that he’s met not only with Burton, but also with Keaton:

“Beetlejuice is hopefully the third thing I’m gonna write this year. I’ve met with Tim about it, I’ve met with Michael Keaton about it. There’s a lot of goodwill to want to do it from both of those guys; Tim from a producing aspect and Michael from returning to the character. Again, it’s on me. It’s whether or not I can come up with a script that’s worthy of them jumping back in.”

It’s interesting that Burton only plans on taking a producer role on the film, but since the project is still in the nascent stages it’s very possible that he could change his mind once Grahame-Smith turns in the script. The scribe said that he has an idea in place for what the film might entail, and revealed that it will be a true sequel and not a reboot:

“I have a rough idea of what it’s gonna be. However—I should stress this—it’s not a remake, it’s not a reboot, it is a true sequel with Michael Keaton as the title character Beetlejuice. The thing that Tim and Michael and I all agree on, and is most important for me is, I don’t wanna be the guy that destroys the legacy and the memory of the first film; I would rather die. I would rather just not make it, I’d rather just throw the whole thing away than make something that pays no respect and doesn’t live up even close to the legacy of the first film.”

Since reboots seem to be all the rage, it’s quite refreshing to hear that they’re not simply making Beetlejuice 2.0 in which Keaton would pass the torch off to a younger, hipper ghoul. Grahame-Smith said that the film will account for the time-lapse from the original movie (much like Tron: Legacy), and teased what the premise might entail:

“This will be a true 26 or 27 years later sequel. What’s great is that for Beetlejuice, time means nothing in the afterlife, but the world outside is a different story.”

I’m all for a Beetlejuice sequel if it’s worthy of the original, and it sounds like all involved have set high standards for themselves. If Beetlejuice 2 does indeed come to fruition, I’m hoping it’ll be because Grahame-Smith turned in a killer script that Burton and Keaton think is worth making. Though he’s set to write a multitude of projects this year, I would think Beetlejuice is fairly high on Grahame-Smith’s list so hopefully we’ll hear word on whether or not it’s going forward sometime later this year. You can watch the portion of Steve’s interview with Grahame-Smith concerning Beetlejuice 2 below, and look for the full interview soon.

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Rodrigo Santoro in Talks to Reprise Xerxes in 300: BATTLE OF ARTEMISIA; Says Sequel Takes Place at the Same Time as the Original

During the international press tour for his new movie Heleno, actor Rodrigo Santoro sat down with out partner site Omelete, and he talked about possibly returning to play Xerxes in Noam Murro‘s upcoming 300 sequel, 300: Battle of Artemisia.  While the script was originally based on the prequel comic Xerxes, written by 300 author Frank Miller, the sequel has morphed into a story with an Athenian protagonist taking on the Persian king.  Santoro says he’s still in talks to return as Xerxes, and that the sequel will show a bit more of his character’s backstory.

Hit the jump for more.  300: Battle of Artemisia stars Sullivan Stapleton and Jamie Blackley.  Santoro will next be seen in What to Expect When You’re Expecting.

Here’s what Santoro had to say to Omelete about where he is in the negotiation process:

Omelete: You said you are negotiating to do Xerxes in “300?

RODRIGO SANTORO: We are talking about it.  Let’s see what happens.  It’s a long story, my friend.  A long story.

When asked about the script, and how much we’ll see of Xerxes in the sequel, here’s what the actor had to say:

SANTORO: I read one some time ago, but they are still working on it.

And in that version, Xerxes is shown in that period during the war?  Or they show his childhood?

SANTORO: I think there is a little…some of his backstory.  Some explanation but it will be very quick.

Finally, Santoro says that Battle of Artemisia takes place during the events of 300.  While Xerxes is near the Battle of Thermopylae, the sequel will show what’s happening on another battlefield:

SANTORO: The movie is set at the same time.  The idea is to show another point of view.  While that battle from the first 300 is taking place, there were others going on…Actually, it’s all of this and then there is an intersection point with the first movie.  It goes back and then goes beyond that.  That was the initial concept.

Keep in mind that the script is still changing, but I’m curious to see how this simultaneous-story approach will work out assuming they choose to stick with it.  Here’s Santoro talking with our partners at Omelete in Portuguese.  They were kind enough to translate it for us.

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