How Did Beetlejuice Die? (Movie, Musical, Lester Green, Meme)


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Have you ever wondered how Beetlejuice die? Look no more. We´ve got you covered.

Beetlejuice is a classic comedy from 1988. It tells the story of a couple haunting their own house after their death.

When their attempts to scare away the new homeowners are unsuccessful, the couple ends up summoning a troublemaking spirit.

It stars Michael Keaton as the pesky ghost, Winona Ryder as the living Lydia, and Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis as the Maitlands who accidentally summon Beetlejuice. Tim Burton directed it.

Because Beetlejuice is a ghost, we can look into certain aspects of his life through clues found in the movie.

This article will dive into trivia and facts about Beetlejuice, including how he died and other famous movie ghosts.

How Did Beetlejuice Die?

Beetlejuice died by suicide. He is Juno’s assistant and thus a civil servant. The film explains that civil servants all took their own lives.

The original script called for a scene that would explain in more detail how Beetlejuice died. The scene was to explain that Beetlejuice attempted to hang himself after suffering from a broken heart.

Apparently, the process was botched and ended up agonizing and slow rather than quick and relatively painless.

How is “Beetlejuice” Spelled?

There are some discrepancies between the spelling of the title of the film and the titular character’s name.

In the film, on his gravestone, the name of the rambunctious ghost is spelled “Betelgeuse.” However, the title of the film is spelled “Beetlejuice.”

Any time in the film that you see the name of the ghost spelled out, it is written “Betelgeuse.”

“The spelling “Betelgeuse” could be meant to signify Betelgeuse’s age, as it does appear in spelling similar to many words used in Middle English, which is presumably a time period during which Betelgeuse lived.”

Betelgeuse is also the name of a star, so the creators may have drawn upon that star for inspiration when naming the titular character.

The ultimate reason for the discrepancy between the character and the film in naming methods comes down to marketing. “Beetlejuice” was easier to spell and thus market than the less common “Betelgeuse.”

When you watch the film with subtitles, you will find that the name is often spelled “Beetlejuice.” This is likely a result of caption creators using the title of the film as the authoritative spelling.

Beetlejuice Funniest Moments >> Check out the video below:

How Old is Beetlejuice?

Nowhere in the movie does it explicitly state Beetlejuice’s (Betelgeuse’s) age. However, there are implications that Beetlejuice is at least 600 years old. After becoming the snake to scare the Deetzes, he says, “it’s been about 600 years.”

We can also suggest through the differences in spellings of his name that Beetlejuice is several centuries old. The spelling “Betelgeuse” seems to be hinting at the spellings used in Middle English.

 Though not confirmed, it could carry that the name has been spelled “Beetlejuice” in an attempt to modernize with the modernization of the English language.

Beetlejuice as a character has relics of many different eras. Michael Keaton was told that the character is from every time period, but no particular time period.

This could be because he lived (and “lived” in the afterlife) through so many time periods that he could have picked up elements that clicked with him throughout time.

Other Beetlejuice Trivia

  • Alyssa Milano was almost cast in the role of Lydia instead of Winona Ryder. Ultimately, Ryder won the role.
  • In addition to being the name of a pesky demon, there is also a star named Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse is a red supergiant. It is the closest star in that category to Earth. Betelgeuse, the star, is in the constellation “Orion,” which represents a hunter.
  • The movie was made to intentionally look like a B-movie, as it had a special effects budget of approximately 1 million dollars, which is quite low for a movie of this scale.
  • The first Netflix DVD sent in 1998 was Beetlejuice.
  • Michael Keeton famously improvised many of his lines for the film. This added to the humor and the uniqueness of Beetlejuice’s character.
  • Catherine O’Hara plays Delia Deetz. O’Hara is well-known for her role as Moira Rose in the hit TV show “Schitt’s Creek.” She also portrayed Kate McCallister in Home Alone.
  • Beetlejuice became a musical in 2018, and the show went to Broadway in 2019. The Original Broadway Cast featured Sophia Anne Caruso as Lydia and Alex Brightman as Beetlejuice. Alex Brightman is also known for playing Dewey Finn in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s musical “School of Rock.”
  • Beetlejuice had a cameo on the television show Community. The show set up a several-season long joke where characters said “Beetlejuice.” The third time one of the characters says “Beetlejuice,” you can see Beetlejuice walk through the background of the scene through a window. It is in season three, during the Halloween episode “Horror Fiction in Seven Spooky Steps.”

How Did Casper Die?

Casper is a beloved children’s character. The ghost is also called “Casper the Friendly Ghost.” Casper is known for being kind and helpful, rather than frightening like most other ghosts.

Casper exists in many forms, as he has appeared in TV shows, comic strips, and full-length movies.

In the 1995 movie “Casper,” it is explained that Casper died as a child. He played outside in the cold for too long, contracted pneumonia, and it led to his untimely demise. None of the other film or television versions explain Casper’s death, so the canon accepts that he died of pneumonia.

How Did the Corpse Bride Die?

*This answer contains spoilers about the movie.*

Corpse Bride is another Tim Burton movie. It was released in 2005 and is a signature of Tim Burton’s style.

Emily is the titular character in the film. She was murdered by her ex-fiancé and died, waiting to be wed. As she spends much of the film preparing for her wedding, she is also known as the “corpse bride.”

How Did Moaning Myrtle Die?

* This answer contains spoilers about the movie.*

Moaning Myrtle is one of the most famous ghosts in the Harry Potter franchise. In the film, she is played by Shirley Henderson.

Moaning Myrtle was killed in 1943. She was killed by the Serpent of Slytherin when Tom Riddle commanded it to kill her.

How Did the Headless Horseman Die?

The Headless Horseman is a mythical figure commonly featured in American folklore. Washington Irving wrote “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” which is one of the most famous versions of the Headless Horseman story.

In Irving’s version of the story, the ghost was a horseman in the American Revolutionary War. During the war, he had his head blown off by an American cannon, and now he haunts the area where he was buried, desperately searching for his head.

The Headless Horseman is also featured in many other folklores. The story is notably featured in Irish, English, and Scottish mythology.

Conclusion

Beetlejuice came out in 1988, and it remains a popular movie to this day. It features many famous actors, including Catherine O’Hara, Michael Keaton, and Winona Ryder.

It is widely recognized for its comedic approach to a classic ghost story.

Beetlejuice’s (Betelgeuse’s) death is never described in detail during the film. However, given clues from the movie, we can assume how he died.

Since he works as a civil servant in the ghost world, we can assume that he dies by suicide.

References

https://beetlejuice.fandom.com/wiki/Betelgeuse

https://casper.fandom.com/wiki/Casper_the_Friendly_Ghost

Mike Gilmour

Hi, I'm Mike, co-founder, and editor of RV and Playa. My passion is traveling (with my RV) and enjoying the day at the beach (Playa)! Well, I originally created this blog as a way to share what I've learned by experimenting with the RV lifestyle, and I want to help others develop in life through new skills and opportunities.

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