Popverse's top stories

• San Diego Comic-Con quietly renewed its contract with the City through 2027, but even they are openly talking about 2028 being a turning point thanks to the LA Olympics
• What to Watch This Weekend: Jason Momoa as a Hawaiian war chief, Tom Brady invades real football, and reality romance veterans clash in Perfect Match
• Five Nights at Freddy 2 has a secret weapon for making the animatronics real: Muppets creator Jim Henson's Creature Shop

Tim Burton fans don't like it when companies try to do Tim Burton without Tim Burton. And neither, it may not surprise you to hear, does Tim Burton. During the press tour leadup to Netflix's Wednesday season 2, the acclaimed director and artist spoke about his displeasure with seeing someone else tackle projects that he originated. LIke, for example, the Beetlejuice musical.

Burton was speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in an article published July 23. When his interviewer brought up recent reports that a third Beetlejuice movie was starting production imminently, Burton responded, "Really? Nobody told me. Maybe I’ve been replaced."

Of course, replacing Tim Burton on Beetlejuice is completely out of the question for anyone with good taste, and that includes the creator himself. Asked if he could see anyone else at the helm of the Michael KEaton-starring franchise, Burton responded bluntly, "No."

"I feel very proprietary about everything I do," the Batman director continued, "Even if I don’t own the characters. When they did the [Beetlejuice Broadway musical], I got pissed."

And just in case you think Burton is alone in this feeling, Wednesday and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star Jenna Ortega had much the same feeling. Ortega, who was also being interviewed by THR, responded that "I would never" reprise her role in another Beetlejuice movie without Burton in the director's chair.

"I also think anybody would be really wrong to get behind that project," the Scream star explains,"Without him involved, what is it? It is what it is because of Tim. There’s no other film you can compare Beetlejuice to. So why would you do that? That would be a tad disrespectful."

Wednesday Season 2 part 1 will be released on Netflix on August 6, with part 2 of the season coming September 3. 

In the immortal words of Danny Elfman, "Life's no fun without a good scare." Join Popverse's weekly explorations of the best opening moments of horror cinema in The Coldest Open, and then check out:

• The best horror movies of all time, according to horror aficionado Greg Silber
• The most underrated horror movies from the past couple years
• All the new and upcoming horror movies for 2025 and beyond

And much gore. Er, more. Much more.