Excitement at the Venice Film Festival: Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Premiere

Anticipation Builds at the Venice Film Festival

On the morning of Wednesday, just hours before the much-anticipated premiere of Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” at the Venice Film Festival, a throng of enthusiastic young fans had already gathered outside the iconic Palazzo del Cinema. Their excitement was palpable as they hoped to catch a glimpse of one of the film’s stars.

Among the crowd, I noticed a teenage boy who arrived on a bicycle, flanked by his parents. All three of them leaned forward, eager to take in the sight of the still-empty red carpet. “Jenna Ortega is going to be here?” the father inquired, his voice filled with excitement.

The boy nodded, his shyness evident, and his parents exchanged knowing smiles. “That’s his great love, you know,” the father added, highlighting the magnetic pull of Ortega’s star power.

Ortega, the beloved star of the Netflix series “Wednesday,” has undeniably boosted interest in Burton’s sequel. Similarly, the presence of glamorous movie stars is a key ingredient that propels a film festival into the spotlight. Last year, however, the Venice Film Festival faced a significant challenge, as a widespread actors’ strike prevented any talent from promoting big-studio films. This unfortunate turn of events meant that the highly anticipated Zendaya-led tennis romance “Challengers,” slated to kick off the festival, was ultimately removed from the lineup, leaving the Italian war drama “Comandante” to fill its place.

While “Comandante” had its moments of intrigue, it lacked the star-studded allure that typically draws in large crowds, especially teenage fans eager for a taste of Hollywood glamour.

During a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, the festival’s artistic director, Alberto Barbera, reflected on the profound sense of loss he felt when the strike deprived his event of its opening film and a majority of its stars. “It was a great blow we were dealt,” he expressed. “There was a lot of concern, of course, that the lack of talent may somehow undermine the efficacy of the machinery of this festival, which is also associated with strong promotion.”

In essence, while the films themselves are the core of any film festival, it is the allure of celebrity that truly captivates audiences. Barbera confidently asserted that this year’s lineup would stand in stark contrast to the previous edition: “We have the longest list of talent attending, who will actually walk along our red carpet, in years.”

The news conference for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” served as a perfect preview of the star-studded event to come. When Jenna Ortega, age 21, took her place alongside iconic actors Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, she admitted feeling somewhat overwhelmed by their combined star power. “I just kind of tried to mind my business in the corner,” Ortega shared, “making sure I didn’t rip off the lovely Winona’s work from back in the day.”

The long-awaited sequel took over 35 years to come to fruition, largely due to the busy schedules of Burton and his esteemed cast. Given this lengthy development period, would the director ever consider a third installment? With a wry smile, he replied, “Let’s do the math. It took 35 years to do this one, so I’ll be 100. I guess it’s possible, with medical science these days, but I don’t think so.”