A theft on the Beetlejuice 2 set has seen an iconic Beetlejuice statue stolen.
The eye-catching artwork featured in Tim Burton’s original 1988 comedy classic and was supposed to feature in the upcoming sequel. However, a report from the Vermont State Police has revealed the statue was stolen alongside a lamppost with a “distinctive” pumpkin decoration on top.
“We tried saying the name of this stolen statue three times, but it didn’t come back!” they said in a recent Facebook post. “Vermont state troopers are investigating the theft of this 150-pound set piece from the Beetlejuice 2 filming location in East Corinth, along with a lamppost topped with a distinctive pumpkin decoration.”
We tried saying the name of this stolen statue three times, but it didn't come back! We're investigating the theft of this 150-pound sculpture from the "Beetlejuice 2" set in E. Corinth, along with a lamppost topped with a pumpkin decoration. Call 802-748-3111 with any info. pic.twitter.com/3NmKEml1AG
— Vermont State Police (@VTStatePolice) July 21, 2023
The statue was reportedly stolen between 5pm on Thursday, July 13, and 11am on Monday, July 17 while the film is shooting on location in Vermont. According to NBC 5, the thieves drove up to the lamppost in an “older-model” GMC pickup truck just after midnight on July 14, removed the base, and then loaded it onto the truck. Security staff reported that the thieves returned on Monday to steal the statue. No arrests have yet been made, and anyone with information about the theft should call 802-748-3111.
Beetlejuice 2 sees the return of Michael Keaton as the iconic character, alongside Wednesday star Jenna Ortega as the daughter of Winona Ryder’s Lydia from the original movie. Although little is known about the film’s plot, Willem Dafoe recently joined the cast as a “law enforcement officer in the afterlife”. Meanwhile, Catherine O’Hara is among those returning from the original film.
The upcoming Beetlejuice sequel has been in the works for some time and was teased all the way back in 2011. Michael Keaton later admitted that he had been in talks for the project and filmmaker Tim Burton confirmed that the sequel was “closer than ever” in 2017. Now, it looks as though Beetlejuice 2 is finally underway. Well, sort of.
The ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike likely means that production won’t get back to normal until after the strike is resolved. At least that gives Vermont State Police a little more time to track down the stolen statue.
Let’s turn on the juice and see what shakes loose.
Want to read more about Beetlejuice 2? Check out when Beetlejuice 2 is set to debut in theaters as well as why the Haunted Mansion director thinks old Disney movies are the scariest movies ever.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/iconic-beetlejuice-statue-stolen-from-sequel-set