Beetlejuice: The Alternate Ending and Its Impact on Lydia Deetz

The Alternate Ending and Its Differences

A filmed alternate ending for Beetlejuice added a few crucial moments to the final few minutes, which would have made the fate of Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz much less heartwarming. The original script for Beetlejuice featured several differences from the final product directed by Tim Burton, and the 1988 film even nearly had a bizarre ending that saw Lydia die.

Lydia, Charles, Delia Deetz & Otho with Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice in Beetlejuice 1988

Even long after the original script rewrites, Beetlejuice made some other adjustments to the ending before premiering the movie, with such changes having significant implications for Lydia’s conclusion. In the final ending for Beetlejuice, Michael Keaton’s titular ghost is defeated by the living Deetzes and deceased Maitlands before being sent to the Neitherworld waiting room. Meanwhile, Lydia is seen enjoying her new school and happily returning home to the ghostly Barbara and Adam, who use their abilities and allow her to dance to Harry Belafonte's “Jump in the Line” with deceased football players.

Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Geena Davis, and Alec Baldwin in Beetlejuice

However, the filmed black-and-white workprint scenes from Beetlejuice reveal that the final version cut a few moments from the ending, which would have confirmed why Lydia’s parents, Delia and Charles, were absent from the ending. Beetlejuice’s alternate ending included Lydia biking through town and speaking with Jane, who suddenly receives a call from the Deetz couple. The reel then cuts to Delia and Charles in a New York City apartment, explaining to Jane that the Winter River house will not be for sale and they don’t want any work on it, soon elaborating that they will 'never' sell it. Immediately after, the clip returns to the familiar ending of Burton’s Beetlejuice, with Lydia telling Adam and Barbara about science class before the house comes to life dancing to “Jump in the Line.”

Implications of the Alternate Ending

The alternate ending of Beetlejuice confirms that Lydia is a 16-year-old being raised solely by ghosts in a haunted house, which isn’t exactly a heartwarming conclusion for the teenager. Adam and Barbara give Lydia the care and attention she needs, but they also can’t leave the house and are subject to further potential conflicts with afterlife figures like Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice himself. Still only a teen, it means Lydia is the only one who can take herself to the doctor, go shopping for groceries and other needs, and tend to herself outside in an emergency. If she were to have a problem at school or elsewhere, the only living people closest to her who could come to her aid are hours away in New York City.

Additionally, it’s unclear whether Jane knows that Adam and Barbara’s ghosts are still in the home, as they could never make her see them in Beetlejuice. If not, Jane would simply assume that a 16-year-old is raising herself in a big house in rural Connecticut while her parents live in the city. These odd implications make it clear why the official ending of Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice left these details more ambiguous, though Delia’s cut note that the family would never sell the house is reassuring that the home will still be in their possession throughout Beetlejuice 2’s story.

Beetlejuice 2 and the Future of Lydia Deetz

Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, and Catherine O'Hara will reprise their roles as Lydia, Beetlejuice, and Delia, respectively, in Tim Burton's upcoming movie Beetlejuice 2, hitting theaters on September 6, 2024. This raises questions about the future of Lydia's character and the impact of the alternate ending on the sequel. The fact that the Deetzes moved back to New York creates a new harsh reality for the fate of Winona Ryder’s character, and it will be interesting to see how this is addressed in Beetlejuice 2.