Is Jeffrey Jones in Beetlejuice 2?

Beetlejuice 2, or Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to use its official title, reunites several of the original movie’s cast members. But one actor is absent from all of the promotional material. So, if you’re wondering whether Jeffrey Jones is in Beetlejuice 2, I’ve got the answer.

Is Jeffrey Jones in Beetlejuice 2?

Jeffrey Jones is not in Beetlejuice 2, and the character he played, Charles Deetz, is dead.

The premise behind Beetlejuice was that a couple, the Maitlands, died, and the Deetzes (mother Delia, father Charles, and daughter Lydia) moved into their home. The Maitlands, who became ghosts, weren’t happy with this arrangement and were determined to get rid of them. This, in turn, led to “bio-exorcist” Betelgeuse/Beetlejuice’s intervention.

However, the sequel, which takes place several decades after the original, begins with the Deetzes returning and attending Charles Deetz’s funeral. Does Charles Deetz turn up as a ghost played by Jeffrey Jones? No, and there’s a good reason why that doesn’t happen.

Related: Does Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Have a Post-Credits Scene?

Why Jeffrey Jones Isn’t in Beetlejuice 2

Jeffrey Jones was the subject of criminal proceedings back in the early 2000s and, after his arrest, ended up pleading no contest to charges of soliciting a minor. He was given five years probation, ordered to undergo counseling, and was required to register as a sex offender. Jones was arrested twice for failing to update his status.

Jones did continue to act in movies but very sporadically. He reprised his earlier role as A.W. Merrick in the Deadwood movie, but his presence on the set caused a stir. Jones was initially “invited” to Rhode Island Comic Con in 2023, apparently through one of the event’s vendors. But when the organizers got wind of this, he was swiftly uninvited.

Since his arrest, he’s cropped up in a few stage productions, but the chances of Warner Bros. giving him a role in this sequel were always close to zero. However, the film deals with his absence in a couple of interesting ways.

Is Charles Deetz in Beetlejuice 2?

So, if Jeffrey Jones is missing from Beetlejuice 2, does that mean there’s no Charles Deetz, other than a closed coffin? Surprisingly, no, Deetz does appear, but it’s clearly not Jones. In fact, the character appears twice.

His first appearance is in flashback, telling the circumstances of his demise. His plane crashed, but he survived and was half-eaten by a shark. This entire sequence is animated claymation-style.

Then, toward the end of the film, we see him as a ghost in the afterlife, with his head and a big chunk of his upper torso missing. This appears to be a practical effect rather than CGI, and the character says a few gurgling words. However, in both cases, it’s not Jones’ voice.

So, the answer to whether Jeffrey Jones is in Beetlejuice 2 is no. The film factors in his character’s death, and while Charles Deetz appears briefly, it’s not Jeffrey Jones.

Beetlejuice 2 is out now in theaters.

The above article was updated on 9/10/2024 by the original author to add information from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 2.