How Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice 2 Updates the Sandworms

Tim Burton not only admits that Beetlejuice 2Sandworms were intended to follow the success of Warner Bros. Dune 2but the sequel also gives the creatures some upgrades that more directly reflect the 2024 sci-fi film. Whereas 1988 Beetle juice the film ends with Geena Davis interrupting a wedding by riding a sandworm, these creatures and their black and white striped design have always been a recognizable part of the Beetle juice iconography. Of course, it was impossible not to make comparisons between Beetle juicesandworms and fantastic creatures from Frank Herbert’s novels and David Lynch in 1984 Dune film.

The original sandworms Beetle juice are first introduced when the recently deceased ghost Adam tries to leave his house, which transports him to the sandworm-infested sands of Saturn’s moon Titan. Sandworms attack both ghosts and the living if they are transported to Saturn, with Lydia and Astrid being chased by a sandworm in Beetlejuice 2 after going to the afterlife realm. Although the appearance and nature of the Beetle juice The sandworms in the movies are very different from those in the Dune franchise, Burton still used Dune 2 to help guide creature updates in the 2024 sequel.

Beetlejuice’s sandworms benefited from Dune’s resurgence in popularity

In Beetlejuice 2Director’s Commentary Tim Burton gives insight into the return of the iconic sandworms and how the sequel’s approach was different. More directly, Burton admits that Beetlejuice 2the inclusion of the sandworm was intended to “walk on the tails of Dune“, When Warner Bros. released Denis Villeneuve’s film Dune in October 2021 and Dune: Part Two in March 2024. Sandworms in Dune 2especially were a big talking point, as the sequel finally saw Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides ride a sandworm across the deserts of Arrakis. Given the continued sandworm hype, Beetlejuice 2 managed to maintain WBD’s momentum.

Although Burton acknowledges the sequels’ sandworm inspirations, Beetle juice “walking on the tail” from Dune also seemed to be true of the 1988 film. Herbert Influencer Dune The novels grew in popularity in the 60s and 70s, leading to David Lynch’s well-known film adaptation in 1984. Beetle juice arrived in theaters just four years later, so it looks like the sandworms’ design, homeland, and appearance were inspired by the sci-fi franchise. With the resurgence in Dunepopularity in early 2020, Burton was able to build on this success to reintroduce his scarier and more fantastic-looking sandworms. in Beetlejuice 2the long-awaited return of life after death.

How Beetlejuice 2 Updates Sandworms

Some new features are added to the Sandworms’ appearances

Sandworms are not much different in Beetlejuice 2 than in the 1988 film, although they are helped by some advances in technology. Sandworms are still made largely with practical effects and stop-motion animation, albeit with some digital enhancement used to integrate them into scenes and clean up certain details. The sandworm that appears in Beetlejuice 2The ending certainly improved on the original’s graphics and shows more movement above the surface as Betelgeuse guides the creature like a slayer.

Additionally, Beetlejuice 2 accompanies Dune 2The premise of learning to ride, summon, and attempt to control sandworms. Dune 2 sees Paul finally ride sandworms, and they are often summoned using a sand-impacting device. In Burton’s film, Jenna Ortega’s Astrid learns to summon a sandworm through the Manual for the recently deceasedhowever, unlike Bárbara, he doesn’t ride. The new similarities still continue through Beetlejuice 2Easter Egg vibrating sand to signal the approach of sandworms, which is borrowed from DuneSandworm exclusive features.