When it comes to the movies of Tim Burton, fans typically commend the Academy Award-nominated director for his gothic fantasy style. That aesthetic has remained intact In fact throughout the majority of his career and fans will get to see it again on the big screen later this year. The unique flourishes will be seen in the long-awaited sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. As much praise as Burton gets for his creative touches, his frequent collaborator, Michael Keaton, feels that there's one skill his buddy possesses that he deserves more credit for.
The aforementioned sequel is adding some fresh faces to Tim Burton's beloved franchise, including Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux and Monica Bellucci. However, some familiar faces were shown in the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice trailer like Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara. While the trailer showed Burton’s trademark elements of gothic-style paranormal creatures and its dark humor, Keaton revealed to Harper’s Bazaar that fans should make note of the stars who chooses:
Tim’s a terrific caster. He doesn’t always get credit for that, but if you look through his films, he always casts really, really well, and that includes Winona.
Tim Burton really does have a gift for assembling great casts for his movies. Looking back at the actors who’ve appeared in the most of Burton movies, there’s a huge range of talent that has helped make the Frankenweenie director’s films so memorable.
For example, Johnny Depp, who's done many Burton films, has eight under his belt like Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sweeney Todd to name a few. And you can’t forget Michael Keaton not only played the titular role in Beetlejuice but was also in the Batman movies and Dumbo. Burton also cast his former longtime partner, the talented Helena Bonham Carter, in many of his films, including Planet of the Apes, Big Fish, Alice in Wonderland and more.
And, of course, the Corpse Bride helmer also has a collaborator in the talented Winona Ryder, who made her film debut in 1986's Lucas before her breakthrough role as Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice. Tim Burton explained to Harper’s Bazaar just what it was about Ryder that made him feel she was a perfect fit for his horror-comedy flick:
When I met Winona, she reminded me of how I felt as a teenager. And she’s got what I love with certain actors. She can say something with just her eyes. … There’s a soul coming out. So without dialogue, without anything, there’s something there. It’s why you make movies.
Winona Ryder truly does have a remarkable gift for being able to convey such feeling with her eyes. Her emotions speak volumes through every look, whether we feel her character’s sorrow of her life being “one big dark room” or the amazement of wanting to dance in mid-air.
For those who’ve never seen Lucas, Winona Ryder played Rina, who harbored a secret crush on her friend even though he had eyes for the new girl in school. Sporting jet-black short hair and wearing punk-type fashion ensembles, the character was an outcast, who stayed true to herself and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. It makes sense as to why Burton knew he picked the right person to portray the "strange and unusual" Lydia. Plus, Ryder clearly left a mark on the talented director since he brought her back into his world alongside Johnny Depp for Edward Scissorhands.
If you ask me, Tim Burton does indeed deserve his flowers for having the foresight to cast Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and other great stars. And, if his track record is any indication, he'll likely continue to tap top-tier talent for his productions.
You can see familiar and new talent come into the world of Tim Burton in the 2024 movie release Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which hits theaters on September 6th.
