WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice!WhileAlec Baldwin and Geena Davis led the cast of the originalBeetlejuiceas the recently deceased couple Adam and Barbara Maitland, their ghosts are nowhere to be found in Tim Burton’sBeetlejuice 2. The original 1988 movie explored Adam and Barbara’s experiences adjusting to the afterlife after dying in a tragic car accident. Their efforts to scare away the new Deetz family from their home led them to recruit the services of “bio-exorcist” Betelgeuse, though the chaos ofBeetlejuiceendedwith the Maitlands and Deetzes living together harmoniously in their Winter River house.
Beetlejuicerevealedthe Maitlands were sentenced to spend the next 125 years in their home, but they’re conveniently missing fromBeetlejuice 2. Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis’ absences makes sense, given it would be difficult to explain why the two ghosts aged from being about 30 years old to being in their mid-60s after death. Still, that leftBeetlejuice 2’s returning characterswith the task of explaining why and how Barbara and Adam were able to leave the attic and avoid the 125-year haunting rule – and where they went instead.
Adam & Barbara Found A Loophole & “Moved On” In Beetlejuice 2
Adam & Barbara’s Souls Have Moved On From The Winter River House
According to Lydia inBeetlejuice Beetlejuice,Adam and Barbara found a loophole in the clause that states they must stay in their Winter River home for 125 years. By finding this loophole, Lydia reveals that Adam and Barbara were able to “move on.” Upon learning this news,Jenna Ortega’s teenage Astrid Deetznotes “how convenient” it is that they’re no longer haunting the attic, so Lydia can’t prove her ghost-seeing ability. This line is also a tongue-in-cheek nod toBeetlejuice 2’s “loophole” explanation being a convenient way to avoid physically bringing back Adam and Barbara in the sequel.
I Can’t Believe I Completely Missed Beetlejuice’s Most Ironic Adam & Barbara Death Detail For 20 Years (& I Love It Now)
After already having seen Beetlejuice on countless occasions, I finally noticed a subtle detail that makes Adam and Barbara’s deaths very ironic.
However, it’s not clear whether the loophole means they “moved on” by going to the Great Beyond in the afterlife and letting their souls leave both Earth and the Neitherworld for good. Alternatively, the Maitlands may have “moved on” by finding the ability to leave their house and wander Earth without being sent directly toBeetlejuice’s sandworm-infested moon of Saturn. It seemsmost likely that Adam and Barbara decided they were sick of being stuck in the Winter River attic and decided to pass on to the Great Beyond, perhaps even takingBeetlejuice 2’s Soul Train to get there.
It’s unclear whether both Delia and Charles Deetz will now take over haunting the Winter River house after their deaths inBeetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Beetlejuice 2 Still Subtly Brings Back Adam & Barbara Maitland
The Two Ghosts Left A Piece Of Them Behind
Though Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis don’t reprise their roles inBeetlejuice 2, the original ghost characters still have a subtle physical presence in the sequel. In an earlyBeetlejuice 2sequence,small figurines of Adam and Barbara can be seen in the town model, with their bodies reaching upward from the river they died in near their crashed yellow car. The town model was deeply tied to Adam and Barbara’s arc in the original movie, so theDeetz family memberskeeping their figurines there is a great way to honor their presence and enduring impact inBeetlejuice 2.
Beetlejuice
Cast
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.
