“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”, interview with actors Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Justin Theroux

Fred Film Radio, this is Chiara Nicoletti from the 81st Venice International Film Festival. I'm glad to welcome Catherine O'Hara, Winona Ryder, Justin Theroux, actors in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice by Tim Barton, the opening film of the festival. Welcome.

Thank you so much for being here.

Thank you for having us.

So first of all, as I told you, I was very glad and happy this morning because I found myself watching the film, with that, you know, that big, silly smile on my face that I pictured I had when I saw Beetlejuice for the first time and then my daughter do that.
So I said, okay, Tim has done it again. And, you know, I'm going back to that feeling. So talking about going back, I mean, what was the feeling?
Because sometimes, you know, when things are so perfect as they became, as they were, you tend to be afraid to go back, you know? So you don't want to touch that perfection. So what was the approach, the doubts, and what happened?”

“I'd say it was the lack of perfection on that first set. And this one, really, that was so appealing and fresh and improvisational and freeing, and nobody was over Tim's shoulder. And again, because of the protection of Tommy Harper, I think, as a producer, there was none of that pressure again on this one, somehow, after all these years, and with Tim becoming who Tim is now.
I know he really wanted to get that spirit back, and he did. That happiness that you feel, and I hope others will feel watching the movie, is what we felt on set, honestly. Tim said today, he didn't care what happened with the movie.
Of course, he wants it to be successful, but even if it wasn't, it wouldn't take away that experience.”

“Yeah, I feel the same. It was such an interesting way to feel, you feel so free, and to try anything, because you have this absolute trust in Tim, because he's not going to use anything that doesn't work, obviously. But I felt so protected by him.

I think he really, really cares for these characters, and I was really moved by that. That made me very emotional. I feel like there's so much hard in this movie, and it's also just like a walk through this garden of imagination that is Tim's brain, which is just a great place to be.”

“And I think that in a very creative way, including your scenes, Justin, it shows you what the real feeling should be, not only towards cinema, but towards life. I mean, where your character is, we say a bit a representation of what's happening today. We're getting sucked up into social media, on appearances, let's say, and this movie, and through your character as well, it reminds you that life is, you should take care of life.
Is that, did you feel that?

Yeah, I mean, I don't have the same experience that they had. I think certainly to your point, Tim was making a commentary, you know, and has a very strong opinion on what he thinks of cell phones and selfies and social media and influencers, which I love that it was, that that's a part of the film. But, you know, I had no idea what to expect coming in to sort of play with these guys.”

“And it was so, like, beyond satisfying because I remember just, you know, like Catherine being able to ask her questions about her process and Winona and, me and Winona had worked together once before, but it was just, you know, it was, you know, sometimes expectations are exceeded. This was certainly one of those films where you thought a little intimidated at the beginning, but then once everyone started playing, you know, everyone really passes the ball in a great way and it was like just, can we make each other giggle more, you know, particularly the days where we were all on set were so much fun.

I read that Tim wrote that he went back to Beetlejuice, sort of reconnecting with his family and with Lydia, and I was wondering if that's what you felt, that you went back to this family and that this family had something left off, that they still had to process or live differently, like a second chance, a second, I don't know.

“Going back just made you feel that we actually existed.
All these years, no, we haven't been in a movie or anything, but these lives have been carried on.
We actually exist.

Yeah. It was quite remarkable how you, once you're with Colleen and once you get into the clothes, and you're with Tim and Tim gives that same direct, you know, he gives that same sort of, and he's so, seeing him so excited, there's something, and then also feeling, I remember on the first one, I didn't know that he identified with the Lydia character. I heard about it later, and I remember I like, I got really, really emotional, that, because I just, it was such a wild experience, the first one, and I feel he just is, he's just so protective of us, you know, and it's just so fun to watch him be happy.”

“He's also just, I mean, everyone would, I think, say, he's the most energetic director. You know, he's constantly, he rarely puts his butt in the chair. He's kind of jumping in and, like, kind of always, like, sort of going, like, oh, yeah, okay, now would you, you know, and then, so, I mean, he had more energy than I ever had on any given day, and he was consistently, so.

He also watched a lot from, like, right there, from next to the camera, which, because on the first one, we didn't have monitors or video village. It didn't exist. Yes, we were back.

But I remember, like, him being right next to the lens, he would kind of, like, do what we were doing. But he was, he was right there a lot of, for parts, and it just, it's just a really special feeling.

So, thank you so much, Catherine O'Hara, Winona Ryder, Justin Theroux, for keeping the strange and unusual