In the originalBeetlejuice, the Maitlands own a hardware store, andBeetlejuice Beetlejuicefinally reveals what happened to it 36 years after the Maitlands' deaths. Despite being the protagonists of the originalBeetlejuice, very little is known aboutAdam and Barabara Maitland, with most of the film taking place after the characters die. However, Tim Burton’s classic comedy film did reveal that the Maitland Hardware store was owned by Adam and Barbara, with it being a complete mystery what happened to the store untilBeetlejuice Beetlejuicefinally answered this question 36 years after the original film.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuicebrings back many of the cast membersof the originalBeetlejuice, with Tim Burton writing new stories for Lydia, Delia, and the titular bio-exorcist. However, there is a notable exception, withBeetlejuice Beetlejuicefailing to bring back Alec Baldwin’s Adam Maitland and Geena Davis' Barbara Maitland. It is explained that the Maitlands went to the Great Beyond in between the events of the first and second film, wrapping up the original protagonists' stories. However,Beetlejuice Beetlejuicealso manages to tie up one loose end with the Maitlands' stories, with that being the Maitland Hardware store.
Maitland Hardware Became A Coffee Shop In Beetlejuice 2
It Can Be Seen In Winter River Scenes
The originalBeetlejuicetakes place in the town of Winter River,which was filmed in the real town of East Corinth, Vermont, something that the franchise returned to forBeetlejuice Beetlejuice.Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceproduction designer Mark Scruton talked withCondé Nast Travelerabout some of the challenges that came with reusing the same town but making it fit into a 2024 setting. Scruton explains that they wanted to keep the small town feel but make it a little trendier, meaning that they had to make some changes. One of these changes included turning Maitland Hardware into a coffee shop.
At one point, it got really big in the story and became a whole big town, and then we realized that knocked the character out of what it really was. So we just made it a little bit trendier. In the script, they reference things like micro-breweries. It wasn’t a pastiche of a cool town, but it needed to feel like it had become a hip place to go to. We had the Maitland Hardware store, so we turned that into a cool coffee shop and we added a couple of extra buildings with a pet grooming parlor and a vintage clothing store.
Although it isn’t explicitly explained inthe story ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, the three decades that have elapsed since the original film took place saw the death of Maitland Hardware. By the time that the story ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuicerolls around, a coffee shop has taken over the building, getting rid of the last remaining mark of the Maitlands in Winter River. It makes sense that a hardware shop owned by two dead people wouldn’t be around nearly 40 years after their deaths, but it is sad to see the Maitlands be scrubbed from Winter River.
As Part Of His Tourist Trap Plan
Although the Maitland Hardware store is now a coffee shop, that wasn’t the first type of business that the building was almost turned into. In the originalBeetlejuice, Charles Deetz sees an opportunity for money after discovering that there are in fact ghosts in the Maitlands' house. This leads toCharles devising a plan to buy all of Winter Riverand turn it into a massive tourist trap centered around the supernatural, something that he pitches to his wealthy friends who come over for dinner.
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At one point inBeetlejuice,Charles pulls out a map that shows his detailed plans for Winter River. This map highlights what he wants to turn the various buildings into, with Maitland Hardware being listed. According to his map, Charles wanted to turn Maitland Hardware into an insect zoo, presumably filled with the ghostly spiders and other bugs that are seen surrounding Betelgeuse throughout the film. This would have been a much odder turn for Maitland Hardware, with the Maitlands probably preferring the coffee shop to Charles' original plan.
Maitland Hardware’s Replacement Maintains The Charm Of Winter River’s Original Charm
While Still Updating It For 2024
Although it may be sad to see Maitland Hardware go, the new coffee shop storefront manages to maintain the charm of Winter River from the originalBeetlejuice. As Mark Scruton discussed, the team behindBeetlejuice Beetlejuicewanted to turn Winter Riverinto a town that feels like it exists in 2024 while also maintaining the idyllic small-town feel that is present in the original movie.
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Rather than being a franchise coffee shop, the one that replaced Maitland Hardware seems to be a local business, allowing Winter River to keep its small-town feel. The town still has its white storefronts, minimal signage, and charming layout, withBeetlejuice Beetlejuice’stake on Winter River maintaining the qualities that made the town memorable in the original film.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Cast
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.
