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More than 35 years after Beetlejuice arrived on the horror comedy scene and left an indelible mark on pop culture, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, a long-awaited sequel to Tim Burton’s ghoulish cult classic, is slated to hit theaters Sept. 6. This time around, the story follows a now middle-aged Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) as she returns to Winter River in the wake of an unexpected family tragedy—only to find herself once again contending with the tricks and torments of Michael Keaton’s titular malevolence.
Accompanying Lydia are her eccentric stepmother, Delia (Catherine O’Hara); angsty teen daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega); and shifty, ponytail-sporting boyfriend, Rory (Justin Theroux), who also manages Lydia’s career as the host of her own paranormal reality TV series, Ghost House with Lydia Deetz.
With Ryder, Keaton, and O’Hara all reprising their roles from the first movie, Theroux is a new addition to the world of Beetlejuice who grew up as an ardent fan of both the original and Burton’s body of work as a whole. So when the filmmaker reached out to him about a potential part in the sequel, Theroux was “eager” to find out more. “I was a little apprehensive that there might not be a reason for a second Beetlejuice,” he says. “But when I read the script, I was very impressed by the story that had come together around it.”
TIME spoke with Theroux about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, his roles in cult classics, and the enduring love for The Leftovers.
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TIME: It’s been over 35 years since Beetlejuice was released. Were you a fan of the original movie when it came out?
Theroux: I was absolutely a fan. It came out at a time when I wasn’t aware of what was a studio movie versus an independent movie. But it definitely felt very independent and like it was just mine. I loved it.
Tim Burton is known as Hollywood’s resident master of macabre. What stood out to you about his process as a filmmaker?
I don’t see him as a master of the macabre. I see him as a true creative. We’re…
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