Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 creepy classic is opening in cinemas across the globe today – and the tiny rural village where much of it is filmed is already experiencing a tourism boost.
Burton chose the pretty setting of East Corinth in Vermont once again to double up as Connecticut in his long-awaited follow-up to the supernatural cult classic starring Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder.
Since publicity for the film first began earlier this year ahead of its release this week, East Corinth has been flung back into the spotlight – and is likely to become a Halloween hotspot for tourists in the coming weeks.
Astrid Deetz (Jenna Ortega) seen cycling through East Corinth, the location for Tim Burton’s sequel to his 1988 cult classic – the tiny village 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 ended
Halloween hotspot incoming: Population circa 600, East Corinth residents say they’re delighted that British director Burton has put their village on the map once more
The village is seen during the Fall, with fans of the new film likely to head to Vermont to see East Corinth looking just as it did in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Pictured: Jenna Ortega and Arthur Conti)
And residents seem happy to be on the tourist trail once more; one local resident, Elise Turcketta, told Vermont news outlet WCAX3 this week that they were delighted the British director had stayed faithful to the original location.
She said: ‘Tim Burton is legend. That is really cool to be a part of such a huge film’.
However, some fans might be disappointed to find that the imposing white clapboard ‘ghost house’ originally owned by the Maitlands (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis), who died in a car crash in the first film, was built just for exteriors in the film and has since been dismantled.
The same goes for the store that moviegoers see and a bridge that frequently features. That said, film fans can wander many of the streets that do appear on the big screen.
Where exactly is it? East Corinth lies in Orange County and is one of a string of seven villages in the Vermont region; before Burton descended it was more famous for its stunning autumnal colours, which are cinematically captured in the film.
With Halloween on the horizon, the village can expect an influx of fans wanting to see the locations used in both films with their own eyes.
The sequel has hit cinemas across the globe this week, with the film opening tonight in the UK
Tim Burton pictured in East Corinth filming the 1988 film that shot him to worldwide fame
The cast of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on August 28th
The original 1988 film saw the Maitlands become ghosts haunting their old house.
Charles and Delia Deetz (Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara) later move into the property with their daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder).
They find themselves enlisting the services of an exorcist called ‘Betelgeuse’, played by Michael Keaton, to get the ghostly family out of the house.
In the new sequel, Winona returns as her grown-up character, now with a teen daughter played by Jenna Ortega, confronting Betelgeuse all over again.
Lydia assumed she would never hear from the mischievous entity ever again. It is Astrid who ends up bringing Beetlejuice back by saying his name three times despite the stern warnings of her mother.
‘When I was a demon, a trickster demon terrorized our entire family and tried to force me to marry him,’ Lydia warns Astrid. ‘I believed he was gone forever until you found this in the attic,’ she said, referencing the poster.
‘Who’s Beetlejuice?’ Astrid asks her mother.
‘Don’t ever say that name!’ Lydia angrily tells her daughter.
But after her daughter repeats his name, Lydia begs, ‘No Astrid! I am serious!’
‘If you say his name three times, he will appear,’ she practically whispers.
Astrid nonchalantly says the demon’s name a third time. ‘Beetlejuice,’ she says, summoning the iconic entity.
Beetlejuice, clad in his iconic black-and-white suit, appears before the duo. ‘The juice is loose,’ he says.
Viewers are then shown snippets of their wild ride into the underworld, where they meet a slew 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 opens across the UK on September 6
