No More Maitlands? Here's Why Geena Davis Won't Be Appearing in 'Beetlejuice 2!'

It's finally happening! After years of rumors and fan buzz, the Beetlejuice sequel arrived on September 6. Fans of the 1988 cult classic are celebrating as Tim Burton is back in the director’s chair, and Michael Keaton returned as Beetlejuice.

This long-anticipated sequel, simply titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, will also feature the return of Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, the quirky goth teen who first encountered the ghostly troublemaker.

The original film also starred Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin. Geena and Alec played Barbara and Adam Maitland, a ghostly couple who died after their car careened off-road.

Barbara and Adam were integral to the film’s charm, becoming iconic characters in their own right. With the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, fans have been hoping to see the return of familiar faces like Geena and Alec.

However, the ghastly duo will not be featured in the film for a very specific reason. Here’s why!

The original Beetlejuice became a launching pad for many of its stars and cemented Tim Burton as a major creative force in Hollywood. For Geena Davis, it’s a project that helped boost her career. However, Geena will not reprise her role in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and some fans are shocked by the exclusive.

Director Tim Burton addresses their absence in the sequel, which has a different storyline than the original film.

“I think the thing was for me I didn't want to just tick any boxes. So even though they were such an amazing integral part of the first one, I was focusing on something else,” Tim told PEOPLE. While the duo doesn’t appear in the sequel, the film addresses their absence. Tim explained that their ghostly characters found a “loophole” that allowed them to leave the home they had been trapped in.

The sequel sees Lydia (Winona Ryder) and Charles’s wife Delia (Catherine O’Hara) return to the haunted Connecticut home for Charles’ funeral.

Jenna Ortega, who plays Lydia’s daughter, travels with the pair and is quickly thrown into a ghostly adventure of her own.

Geena Davis is not included in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and the actor has a funny theory about why her role could not be reprised. “No, I'm not. I'm not in the remake," Geena told Entertainment Tonight. "Oh, you were expecting that I would be? Yeah, no, you know what? Because my theory is that ghosts don't age... Not that I have."

She explained that since her character was a ghost, it wouldn't make sense for her to be in the sequel, as ghosts are timeless and don’t grow older.

“Our characters were stuck the way they looked when they died forever, so it's been a while, it's been a minute,” Geena added.

The original Beetlejuice launched many of its stars' careers and solidified Tim Burton as a major creative force in Hollywood. For Geena, the project helped catapult her own career.