Some fans of Beetlejuice might find it surprising that the actor who played Lydia’s father in the original movie isn’t part of the new one.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 hit, brings back the famous ghost played by Michael Keaton.
Winona Ryder returns as Lydia Deetz, now all grown up, and Jenna Ortega plays her daughter.
Catherine O’Hara also reprises her role as Delia’s stepmother.
New faces in the sequel include Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, and Monica Bellucci.
Check out the trailer below:
Notably absent from the new film is Jeffrey Jones, who portrayed Lydia’s dad in the first movie.
Jones, now 77, has not made any public statements regarding his absence from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but his career seemed to shift after his 2002 arrest.
In 2003, he pled no contest to child pornography charges.
He received a sentence of five years probation, mandatory counseling, and is required to register as a sex offender for life.
At the time, he reportedly shared: “This concludes a really painful chapter in my life. I am sorry that this incident was allowed to occur. Such an event has never happened before and it will never happen again.”
However, in both 2004 and 2010, he was arrested again for not updating his status as a sex offender.
The Ferris Bueller’s Day Off actor pleaded guilty and was sentenced to an additional 250 hours of community service and more years of probation.
In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the movie opens with the Deetz family attending the funeral of Jones’ character, mourning his death.
Despite his legal issues, Jones has continued acting, appearing as A.W. Merrick in Deadwood: The Movie in 2019 and starring in My Brothers’ Crossing in 2020.
Back to the new movie, it seems fans are actually favoring it over the original. One viewer commented: “As good if not better than the first that is saying a lot!!”
Another fan wrote: “VERY RARE does a sequel to a classic come close to the original but here we are.”
“It’s JUST as fun as the first one. Laughs from beginning to end.”
A third person shared: “The storyline was great! The movie has many familiar and new characters.”
“The action is fast-paced and quite entertaining, with wildly funny scenes. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
