‘Beetlejuice 3’ Looks Less Likely Than Ever as the Sequel’s Writers Reflect on Losing Catherine O’Hara

Ever since the ghost with the most came back to theaters, fans have wondered whether Tim Burton would finish the job with a third ‘Beetlejuice’ movie. ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ arrived on September 6, 2024, with Burton directing from a screenplay by Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, and its success seemed to leave the door wide open for more.

That hope has been complicated by real-world loss. Catherine O’Hara died on January 30 at her home in Los Angeles following a brief illness, at the age of 71. In the sequel, she reprised the role of Delia Deetz, Lydia’s stepmother and Astrid’s step-grandmother, playing it alongside returning stars Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder.

Now the men who wrote the sequel have spoken honestly about where that leaves the franchise. Asked about a possible trilogy, Gough told ScreenRant, “You never say never, but that’s really up to Tim. And I think with Catherine’s passing, it’s certainly harder.” Millar agreed, adding, “No, that’s the answer. It’s just [harder.]”

In normal circumstances, the business case for a third film would be easy to make. The sequel had a reported $100 million budget, opened to just over $111 million domestically, and took in more than $450 million worldwide.

That’s a huge jump for a property whose original film opened in March 1988 with an $8 million domestic weekend and finished its first run at $73.7 million worldwide. Even the sequel’s title seemed to point toward a third chapter, since Betelgeuse appears when someone says his name 3 times, a rule fans have long read as a built-in setup for a trilogy.

BEETLEJUICE 3 may never happen. While the 2024 sequel was a box office success, the possibility of a third film seems less likely following the passing of Catherine O’Hara. When asked about the possibility of completing a trilogy, writer Alfred Gough told ScreenRant, “You never say never, but that’s really up to Tim. And I think with Catherine’s passing, it’s certainly harder.” Fellow writer Miles Millar echoed that sentiment, making the future of the franchise uncertain. Would you like there to be a third film in the series?

— Bloody Disgusting (@BDisgusting) November 6, 2026

Gough and Millar have been consistent that the final say belongs to the director. After the sequel’s release, Gough said a third film would “really go down to Tim and when he’s ready to engage in that”, and Millar noted at the time that while the studio likely wanted one, it was up to Burton, Keaton, Ryder and O’Hara, a comment he made to Popverse.

Looking back, that list carries a heavier weight. O’Hara was one of the few cast members who connected the 1988 original to the 2024 sequel, and her absence would be impossible to ignore in any new chapter of the Deetz family story.

New official trailer for ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’, in theaters September 6th. https://t.co/a6xRMpOD2G

— Pop Base (@PopBase) May 23, 2024

Even before her passing, there wasn’t much concrete movement. According to Bloody Disgusting, there were no significant talks of developing another entry, though Warner Bros. teased in 2025 that conversations about a third film were happening. The writers’ latest comments suggest neither Burton nor anyone from the cast is involved in that plan.

The creative team clearly hasn’t drifted apart, though. Gough and Millar created ‘Wednesday’ with Burton, and Season 3 of that series is set to star Winona Ryder, so the familiar faces are still working together, just not in the afterlife’s waiting room.

For many fans, the question is less about whether a third movie could be made and more about whether it should be made without O’Hara. ScreenRant noted that the franchise remains open-ended with Burton’s decision as the deciding factor, but that longtime fans would surely feel her absence.

Her career stretched well beyond Delia Deetz, too. O’Hara was also known for ‘Schitt’s Creek’, ‘Home Alone’, and the recent Emmy hit ‘The Studio’, which makes her loss felt across generations of viewers, not just ‘Beetlejuice’ fans.

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