Beetlejuice Beetlejuice ending explained: How does the long-awaited sequel end?

You don't have to wait any longer, horror fans! Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is now playing in theaters, and we're hearing a lot of good things about this long-awaited sequel. We got the chance to see the new comedy-horror film ourselves here at 1428 Elm, and we have got to say, the hype is definitely warranted.

We'd even go as far as to say that the sequel did the original '80s horror classic justice, which isn't usually the case with sequels nowadays. Directed by Tim Burton, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice takes place decades after the events of the first film. Lydia Deetz is now an adult and the host of a successful supernatural talk show called "Ghost House." She's also in a relationship with the show's producer, Rory, and has a teen daughter named Astrid, with whom she's estranged. However, she still struggles with her past encounter as a teenager with the mischievous ghost, Betelgeuse.

After learning from her stepmother Delia that her father Charles has passed away, Lydia, Delia, and Astrid return home to Winter River, Connecticut with Rory to attend Charles' funeral and to get their old house squared away. But this is when things go awry. The portal to the afterlife is accidentally opened, and Lydia finds herself having to save Astrid from the land of the dead. And who does she end up calling for help? Well, that'll be trickster and bio-exorcist Betelgeuse. Of course, things can only get more chaotic with his assistance.

If you haven’t watched the comedy-horror yet, you might want to click off this article because we’re about to discuss its ending down below. But don't forget to come back if you need an explainer!

Spoilers ahead from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Does Lydia rescue Astrid from the afterlife in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?

Yes! While staying in Winter River for her grandfather's funeral, Astrid meets a seemingly kind guy named Jeremy, who ends up being a ghost with ill intentions. Twenty-three years prior to the events of the movie, Jeremy killed his parents and then ran to hide in his treehouse so that the cops couldn't find him. But as the cops closed in on him, he ended up falling from the tree and breaking his neck, ultimately dying. Now, he and his parents are ghosts who are unable to leave their house.

Jeremy wants his old human life back, though. That's why he jumps at the chance of using Astrid to restore his life when she accidentally runs her bike into his backyard. He tricks her into exchanging her human life for his ghost life. In other words, she'll take his place in the afterlife while he gets to stay in the mortal world. However, Astrid doesn't find out his true intentions until she's already switched places.

After Lydia finds out Jeremy's real identity and realizes his intentions with Astrid, she enlists the help of Betelgeuse in saving Astrid from the afterlife. But she has to agree to marry him first in order for him to help her out. Desperate to save her daughter, Lydia agrees to Betelgeuse's terms.

She then quickly makes her way to the afterlife and sees Astrid about to board the Soul Train to the Great Beyond. Luckily, she and her deceased ex-husband/Astrid's father are able to get to Astrid before she gets on the train. But Astrid's human life still needs to be restored. In order to do that, they need to stop Jeremy before his passport is stamped. They end up catching up to Jeremy, but it looks like it's too late. He's about to get his passport stamped by an immigration worker, which would then grant him permission to roam freely in the mortal world.

However, the immigration worker turns out to be Betelgeuse in disguise, and instead of giving Jeremy a stamp of approval, he rejects his passport and sends him falling into a pit of fire. Now, Astrid's human life is restored, and she can return to the mortal world.

Do Lydia and Betelgeuse actually get married in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?

Nope. Just like how Lydia and Betelgeuse almost got married in Beetlejuice, they almost got married in the sequel. They even have a whole theatrical wedding ceremony, but they don't get married. Although Lydia agreed to marry Betelgeuse in exchange for his help in saving Astrid, she doesn't end up having to marry him after all. Why? Well, Betelgeuse violated a rule in the book "Handbook for the Recently Deceased," when he illegally brought Lydia to the afterlife. Since he broke this rule, it made the marriage contract that Lydia signed null and void.

Here are some more things that happened in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice:

• We find out how Charles died. While traveling from a bird-watching trip overseas, the plane Charles was on crashes into the ocean. But even though he survives the crash, a shark rises up out of the ocean and eats him alive. He ends up in the afterlife after his death.
• We also find out how Richard, Astrid's father, died. Two years prior to the events of the film, Richard died in a boating accident in South America. He was overseas fighting for climate justice when his untimely death happened. He also ends up in the afterlife after his death.
• Delores, Betelgeuse's vengeful ex-wife, and a money-hungry Rory are both eaten by a huge sandworm that Astrid was able to summon by using the afterlife book. All of this happens at Lydia and Betelgeuse's wedding in the church.
• While visiting Charles' grave in hopes of connecting with his spirit, Delia takes out some snakes that she thought were non-venomous but actually are. They end up biting her in the neck, ultimately killing her. She's then sent to the afterlife, where she's reunited with Charles.
• After Lydia and Betelgeuse's wedding is called off, Lydia says his name three times, making him inflate to the point where he pops like a balloon. He is then believed to be sent back to the afterlife.

There's a time jump at the end of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, where we see Lydia and Astrid traveling the world together, Astrid meeting a man and getting married, and even having a baby. However, that baby ends up being a baby Betelgeuse. Yes, the same baby Betelgeuse that Lydia was fake pregnant with at the beginning of the film.

But all this turns out not to be real. We find out that Lydia was just having a nightmare. As she wakes up, she sees Betelgeuse lying beside her in bed. He tells her, "I just had the weirdest dream," before disappearing. While it's not totally clear what this all means, it looks like Betelgeuse isn't quite done haunting Lydia just yet. Fingers crossed, we get to see a Beetlejuice 3!

What are your thoughts on the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice ending?

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