WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for Beetlejuice 2!Delia Deetz’s death provided a great twist in the third act ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, but it was one that I actually caught onto during the movie’s trailers. Warner Bros. did a great job of hiding some big surprises forBeetlejuice 2’s story, includingCharles Deetz’s headless ghost return, Jeremy being a ghost, and original character Little Jane Butterfield returning as a grown-up realtor in Winter River. However,some twists were given away through subtle details in the trailers, with Delia’s death being one of them.
While Charles Deetz’s death was revealed early on in the sequel’s promotional materials, as it served as the catalyst for the family returning to Winter River, it still came as a relatively unexpected development thatBeetlejuice 2also killed off Catherine O’Hara’s Delia Deetz. While Astrid and Lydia are already in the afterlife realm,Delia goes to Charles’ grave with two venomous snakes that bite and kill her.I wasn’t certain how the animal would factor into her story, but I did happen to catch the tease that Delia would be killed by snakes inBeetlejuice 2’s trailers.
I Caught Teases For Delia’s Death In Beetlejuice 2’s Trailer
Theofficial trailer forBeetlejuice Beetlejuicefeatures some key moments of Delia Deetz in the iconic Neitherworld waiting room, which was already a big hint that she would become a ghost in the sequel. While Astrid was seen walking through the room, Delia was actually sitting on the couch awaiting her turn to speak with her caseworker. Still, these details may not have been strong enough to conclude that she would die in the sequel.
Every Major Dead Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Character & How They Died
Here’s how every deceased major character who appears in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice met their end, both in the mortal realm and in the afterlife.
It wasn’t untilI saw that Delia had blood on her neck from what looked like a snake bite that I was convinced her character would join the afterlife. As it turned out,I was right about Delia’s death. She died after being bitten by snakes, and her ghost was immediately sent to the Neitherworld as she awaited her next steps. While she was still alive for the majority of the movie, Delia and Charles’ ghosts reunite in the afterlife duringBeetlejuice 2’s ending, with Tim Burton’s sequel killing off two of the three original Deetz family members.
Why Delia’s Death Makes Sense For Beetlejuice 2 (& The Franchise’s Future)
Will Delia’s Ghost Haunt The Winter River House?
Killing of Delia was a big risk for Burton’s 2024 sequel. Delia is a fan-favorite original character, and Catherine O’Hara’s popularity has skyrocketed over the past 36 years since the original movie. However, her death makes complete sense within the context of the film and provides a hilarious gag for the character. Additionally, with Delia being dead, Lydia and Astrid are given another close connection to the afterlife as they interact with ghosts, have another ghost to conjure up Betelgeuse, andmaintain the familial dead-living Winter River character dynamic that Lydia had with the Maitlands in the first movie.
Delia and Charles could take over the Maitlands’ role of haunting the Winter River house.
The death of Catherine O’Hara’sBeetlejuice 2characteralso leaves the door open to continue the Deetzes’ story in the future. While we’ve now seen Delia explore the afterlife with Charles, we haven’t seen her truly tackle the struggles of being a ghost on Earth. Delia and Charles could take over the Maitlands’ role of haunting the Winter River house, which increases the potential for another movie in which Lydia and Astrid return to the home and reunite with Betelgeuse yet another time afterBeetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Cast
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.
Beetlejuice
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular “bio-exorcist”, an obnoxious spirit who specializes in driving living occupants out of homes. When Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die suddenly, they pass into the spirit realm, and must stay in their home. However, in the living world, the Deetz family purchases the house and moves in, prompting the Maitlands to enlist the help of Beetlejuice to drive them away.
