Why isn’t Geena Davis in ‘Beetlejuice 2’?

While it’s hard not to think that some sequels should never have been made, there are some fictional worlds that you never want to leave, and that includes Beetlejuice. There are several reasons why the sequel is just happening now, but at least fans will get to see the cast again. Well, minus Geena Davis.

Beetlejuice 2, which is called Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, won’t actually include the famous actress, who has played many riveting TV and movie characters, from her iconic Thelma & Louise role to a fetal surgeon on Grey’s Anatomy. But since Barbara Maitland in Beetlejuice is a particularly memorable and special character, people want to know why she won’t be joining Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, and Michael Keaton in the Beetlejuice sequel.

Why Geena Davis won’t star in Beetlejuice 2

In April 2024, Davis told Entertainment Tonight that since spirits can’t get older, it would be illogical for Barbara to be a main character in Beetlejuice 2. She said, “Our characters were stuck the way they looked when they died forever, so it’s been a while, it’s been a minute.” She continued, “my theory is that ghosts don’t age” and then showed her awesome sense of humor when she added, “Not that I have.” (Agreed!)

While the actress of course still looks amazing, she’s 68 now and was in her early 30s when Beetlejuice was released in 1998. There’s no denying that she looks different than she did when filming the OG movie.

Since fans have heard about the sequel for a while now, it makes sense that Davis has discussed this subject a few times. In 2016, she chatted with Tony Loconsole and said “ghosts don’t age” (I’m sensing a pattern here!). She also made a hilarious dig at her co-star Alec Baldwin, who played Barbara’s husband Adam, when she added, “You know Alec and I, one of us has aged a lot.”

Regardless of the logistics of how Barbara could be in Beetlejuice 2, the addition of Ortega to the sequel’s cast softens the blow of Davis a little bit. Ortega is an exciting young star, beloved for breathing new life into Wednesday Addams and starring in a ton of horror movies, and it will be cool to see what she brings to Tim Burton’s creepy and fun universe.

The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice storyline also keeps the focus on the Deetz family, as Delia (Catherine O’Hara), her daughter Lydia (Ryder), and her granddaughter Astrid (Ortega) are coming back to the haunted house that started it all. Fans will just have to pretend that Barbara Maitland is still there somewhere… and hope that Davis returns to Grey’s Anatomy sometime!