Ryan Stajmiger in Beetlejuice. Photo by Matthew Murphy, 2026

For die-hard fans of Beetlejuice (be it the film or the stage production), these fun facts may be commonly known, but they help explain the otherworldly success of Tim Burton and his most well-known character whom we shall not say three times — Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetle…

• Beetlejuice was Tim Burton’s second film.
• Before directing his first film, Burton was a Disney animator.
• Burton originally wanted Sammy Davis Jr. to play Beetlejuice but producer David Geen insisted on Michael Keaton.
• The film won an Oscar for Best Makeup in 1989.
• Alternative titles for the film included House Ghosts and Scared Sheetless.
• Beetlejuice was named after a star, Betelgeuse, in the constellation Orion.
• Beetlejuice only appears in 17.5 minutes of the film.
• The musical was in the works for eight years before the pre-Broadway tryout in Washington, D.C.

Reprinted by permission of Beetlejuice.

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