Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 creepy classic, opened in theaters around the world this week, and the small rural town where much of the film was shot is set to become a hotbed of tourist attraction.
Burton once again chose the beautiful setting of East Corinth, Vermont, to play ‘Winter River’ in Connecticut in his long-awaited sequel to the supernatural cult film starring Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder.
Since publicity for the latest film began earlier this year, East Corinth, with a population of less than 600, has been thrust back into the spotlight and is likely to become a Halloween tourist hotspot in the coming weeks.
Astrid Deetz (Jenna Ortega) seen biking through East Corinth, the location where Tim Burton’s sequel to his 1988 cult classic was filmed (the small town also appeared in the first film).
Now you see it, now you don’t: Fans may be disappointed to learn that the “ghost house” where much of the action takes place has been dismantled since filming wrapped.
Halloween gathering point is approaching: Residents of East Corinth, population about 600, say they are thrilled that British director Burton has put their town back on the map
The town is seen during the fall, and fans of the new film will likely head to Vermont to see East Corinth looking just as it did in Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice (pictured: Jenna Ortega and Arthur Conti)
And residents seem more than happy to be back on the visitor trail.
A local resident, Elise Turcketta, told a Vermont news outlet WCAX3 This week, locals were delighted that the British director had stayed true to the original location, after it was rumoured that the director might opt for a studio.
He said: “Tim Burton is a legend. It’s really cool to be part of such an important film.”
Where exactly is it? East Corinth is located in Orange County and is one of seven towns in the Vermont region. Before Burton came along, it was most famous for its stunning fall colors, which are cinematically captured in the film.
With Halloween on the horizon, the town can expect an influx of fans wanting to see the locations used in both films for themselves.
British Beetlejuice fans crossing the pond can expect a two-and-a-half-hour drive north (about 170 miles) from the nearest major airport, Boston.
However, some fans might be disappointed to discover that when they arrive in town, the imposing white clapboard “ghost house” originally owned by the Maitlands (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis), who died in a car accident in the first film, was built just for exteriors in the movie and has since been dismantled.
That said, movie fans can stroll down many of the streets that appear on the big screen.
The sequel hit cinemas around the world this week, and the film opens tonight in the UK.
Tim Burton photographed in East Corinth filming the 1988 movie that catapulted him to worldwide fame
The cast of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on August 28
In the original 1988 film, the Maitlands became ghosts haunting their former home.
Later, Charles and Delia Deetz (Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara) move into the estate with their daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder).
They find themselves hiring the services of an exorcist named ‘Betelgeuse’, played by Michael Keaton, to get the ghostly family out of the house.
In the new sequel, Winona returns as her adult character, now with a teenage daughter played by Jenna Ortega, facing off against Betelgeuse once again.
Lydia assumed she would never hear from the mischievous entity again.
It is Astrid who ends up bringing Beetlejuice back by saying his name three times despite her mother’s stern warnings.
Beetlejuice, dressed in his iconic black and white suit, appears before the duo. “The juice is loose,” he says.
Viewers then see clips from their wild journey into the underworld, where they meet a host of new faces played by Justin Theroux and Willem Dafoe. Burton’s real-life girlfriend, Monica Bellucci, also stars as Beetlejuice’s wife.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is released across the UK on September 6th
