Photo:Vermont State Police
Vermont State Police
Beetlejuice 2is experiencing a theft problem on set.
On Thursday, theVermont State Policesaid in a news release that they are investigating two reported thefts of items used inTim Burton’s upcoming sequel, which was filming in East Corinth, Vermont.
In one instance, the film’s security team reported to police just after midnight on July 14 that someone removed “a large lamppost topped with a distinctive pumpkin decoration” and fled with the item in the back of a pickup truck. Four days later, officials from the film reported to the department that “perpetrators had stolen an approximately 150-pound abstract art statue” from a cemetery the movie was filming at.
The police department reported that the vehicle used in the first theft appeared to be “an older model GMC pickup truck,” and noted that the second theft may have happened any time between 5 p.m. local time on July 13 and 11 a.m. Monday, July 17.
Warner Bros. Pictures, the studio producing the upcoming sequel, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
The stolen statue appears to match a similar item seen in 1988’s originalBeetlejuice: one of Delia Deetz’s (Catherine O’Hara) sculptures, whichcomes to lifetoward the end of the film.
As police investigate the incidents,Beetlejuice 2 —a long sought-after sequel that PEOPLE confirmed was officially in the works in May — is not currently in production due to the ongoingactors strike against major Hollywood productions, which began on July 14.
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The sequel’s filming in East Corinth, Vermont, returned the production to a location used for a number of scenes in the original movie. The independent Vermont news outletSeven Daysnoted that the movie only filmed outdoor scenes in the small town.
Filming for the sequel, which will starWinona Ryder,Jenna OrtegaandMichael Keaton, has also taken place in July. Ryder, 51, and Ortega, 20, werespotted filming what appeared to be a wedding scenein Hertfordshire, England as recently as July 5.
Ryder is reprising her role as Lydia Deetz from the original movie;ScreamandWednesdaystar Ortega is billed as Lydia’s daughter in the upcoming sequel.
Ryder costarred alongside Keaton, 71, plusAlec Baldwin,Geena Davis,Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones and the lateGlenn ShadixinBeetlejuice, which follows a shady spirit who helps a recently deceased couple drive out an unbearable family who moved into their home. O’Hara is also expected to return for the sequel.
Monica Bellucci— who recently confirmedshe is dating Burton, 64 — is among the new cast members in the sequel, which also includesJustin TherouxandWillem Dafoe, perThe Hollywood Reporter. TheMafia Mammastar is set to play Beetlejuice’s wife,
Beetlejuice 2is expected to release in theaters Sept. 6, 2024.
source: people.com
