Beetlejuice Beetlejuice stars Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe say they were "surprised and shocked" by how much emotion was in the horror-comedy sequel when they saw it for the first time.
The duo play Afterlife dwellers Delores, Beetlejuice's vengeful ex-wife, and Wolf Jackson, a try-hard B-movie actor who just can't shake the detective role that made him famous, respectively. They're self-proclaimed supporting players, which meant that they weren't on set to see the movie's more heart-wrenching scenes between Winona Ryder's beloved Lydia Deetz and her distant daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) play out.
"There were huge sections that, of course, I'm not involved in because I'm part of the ensemble," Dafoe tells 12DOVE. "I think, just occasionally, there are surges of emotion that you don't expect. I mean, it's clear there's lots of comedy and there's lots of great gags and odd spins on things. But every once a while, in the family story, some kind of surge of emotion comes."
Bellucci was similarly taken aback. "Even though I knew the script, I was so surprised and shocked when I saw the movie, because there are so many elements [to it]," she says. "The film is scary, but also funny and also full of emotion and is darkly comic and Gothic. So, I mean, I think that is the kind of movie for all generations."
Directed by Tim Burton, from a script by Wednesday showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sees the Deetzes return to Winter River, Connecticut following a family tragedy. There, Lydia is forced to turn to the eponymous green-haired ghoul for help when Astrid unknowingly bridges the gap between the living and the dead.
Aside from Keaton as Beetlejuice, Bellucci and Dafoe definitely have the most elaborate makeup and prosthetics, which they say both say helped get them into the mindset of their characters.
"It's nice to have a mask, something to work against or help you make what you're doing specific or condition what you're doing," notes Dafoe. "It's not fun because it takes a little while, but it makes everything very specific and particular."
"I'm a woman, so I'm used to makeup, as all women are..." Bellucci begins, as Dafoe laughs and interjects: "Hey, I'm an actor, I'm used to makeup, too."
"Well, I'm an actor and a woman," Bellucci smiles. "I had three hours of makeup every day. But, you know, I knew that it was part of the game, actually, and it was very helpful to get into the character and to get into these beautiful sets, to wear those amazing costumes of Colleen Atwood. Tim loves to draw, so he would show us beautiful drawings of these characters in certain situations, too, and that was very helpful."
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice releases on September 6. In the meantime, check out our guide to the most exciting upcoming movies heading our way.
