Warning: Spoilers ahead for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice!
Catherine O’Hara’s return as Delia Deetz was one of the biggest highlights ofBeetlejuice 2, and the character almost had a line meant to serve as a fun callback to the original 1988 movie. Delia is one ofBeetlejuice 2’s returning charactersalongside Michael Keaton’s titular character and Winona Ryder’s Lydia. While Jeffrey Jones doesn’t reprise his role as Charles, there’s another Deetz family in Tim Burton’s sequel with the addition of Jenna Ortega’s Astrid, the troubled teenage daughter of Lydia and step-granddaughter of Delia.
Even though 36 years have passed since the firstBeetlejuicemovie, Delia didn’t change much. The character was still the eccentric artist, serving as the ultimate scene-stealer throughout the sequel. While she was forced to deal with Charles' death at the start of the movie,Delia was also killed off inBeetlejuice 2after being bitten by the snakes used in her ceremony at Charles' grave. The character still had a role inBeetlejuice 2’s ending, and she even reunited with Charles in the afterlife. That said, Delia was nearly given a hilarious line that could’ve become a notable callback.
The Moment Went To Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice
When Delia was killed by the poisonous bites, she regained consciousness in the Neitherworld’s waiting room. As she awoke and acknowledged her surroundings,Delia hilariously uttered, “What the fu-…hell,” as she started to use the f-bomb before going with “hell” as her reaction.Delia’s close use of thef-bomb in Beetlejuice 2is a fun reference to the 1988 original movie’s controversial Michael Keaton line when he yelled, “nice f*cking model!,” during the film. This might seem too scandalous, except for the fact that the firstBeetlejuicewas PG-rated.
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Considering Delia’s shock and dismay at realizing why she’s in the afterlife,it would have been completely justified had O’Hara’s character been givenBeetlejuice 2’s big f-bomb moment.Instead, the usage of the word went back to Keaton while inBeetlejuice 2’s Neitherworldwhile helping Lydia rescue Astrid. In preventing Jeremy from stealing Astrid’s life, Beetlejuice stops the deal from happening by not properly stamping Jeremy’s afterlife passport. In addition, Keaton gives Jeremy a “later, f*cker” before dropping him into Hell.
How Beetlejuice 2’s F-Bomb Honored The Original Movie
Tim Burton’s Sequel Acknowledges The Controversial Line From 1988
Beetlejuice 2was officially rated PG-13, meaning the movie would have been granted one use of the f-bomb. Based on the legacy of the word from the original movie, the sequel needed to feature the swear word at the perfect moment for the full impact. Delia would have been a fitting character since she had some ofBeetlejuice 2’s other notable quotes. Still, it makes sense to give it to Keaton since his character was connected to the controversial dialogue in the original. In a way,Beetlejuice 2’s new f-bomb honors the first movie, but it’s used in a more powerful way.
The censoring was due to the fact that Beetlejuice 2 already used its solo f-bomb during the afterlife scene with Jeremy, poking fun at MPAA ratings
Interestingly,Beetlejuice 2did feature another f-bomb, but it got bleeped in the movie. Keaton said, “What the f*ck,” when Delores appeared at the Winter River church as he tried to marry Lydia (for the second time). The censoring was due to the fact thatBeetlejuice 2already used its solo f-bomb during the afterlife scene with Jeremy, poking fun at MPAA ratings and the discussions surrounding the infamous line in 1988. We will likely never get an R-rated sequel, butBeetlejuice 2made sure to be in on the joke this time around.
