Willem Dafoe is an Afterlife Detective in “Beetlejuice 2”

One of the more anticipated sequels currently in the works is Tim Burton‘s long-gestating “Beetlejuice 2.” The film will see the return of pretty much the entire original cast (minus those who are no longer with us). Even composer Danny Elfman and costume designer Colleen Atwood are back, too!

But of course new faces are joining the fun as well, including “Wednesday” star Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux, and the one and only Willem Dafoe. We know a few things about the characters. Ortega will play Astrid Deetz, daughter of Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder). Bellucci is rumored to play the wife of Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), and Theroux may or may not be Ortega’s love interest. But who exactly would Dafoe be playing?

Thankfully, the multi-Oscar nominee just recently did some press for the upcoming film “Poor Things,” and answered a big question about “Beetlejuice 2.” Turns out, he’ll be something of an undead character himself.

“I haven’t seen any footage yet, but it was fun to do,” Dafoe said of the production, which recently wrapped following the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike. “I play a police officer in the afterlife, so I’m a dead person. And in life I was a B-movie action star, but I had an accident and that’s what sent me to the other side. But because of my skills, I became a detective character in the afterlife. So that’s my job. But it’s colored by the fact of who I was [when I was alive]: a B movie action star.”

Yeah, that sounds pretty awesome! While we haven’t seen any official photos or video yet, we’re hopeful something will be coming soon. “Beetlejuice 2” currently has a release date of September 6th, 2024.

If you haven’t picked up the original film on 4K yet, you should! It’s on sale on Amazon right now, which you can get here.