In 1988, Tim Burton turned the quiet village of East Corinth, Vermont into Winter River, Connecticut for Beetlejuice. 35 years later, the filmmaker returned for Beetlejuice 2. While the majority of filming took place in London, the exteriors of the original filming locations were recreated in East Corinth for two days of on-location shooting. After it wrapped, fans — myself included — flocked to the quaint town to experience Wind River in person.
Burton originally chose East Corinth after stumbling on postcards featuring scenic photos of the area while location scouting for Beetlejuice throughout New England. According to locals, the studio wanted him to recreate the necessary locations on a sound stage for Beetlejuice 2, but Burton insisted on returning to the original site.
The town hasn’t changed all that much over the years, but the production experience certainly has. While those who were around for the original Beetlejuice shooting recall the cast and crew freely interacting with the locals, news of the sequel spread fast on social media, resulting in an onslaught of tourists hoping for a glimpse of Hollywood. The production used the fake working title Blue Hawaii, perhaps a nod to the scrapped ’90s sequel Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian as well as Star Wars: Return of the Jedi‘s well-known working title, Blue Harvest.
Burton was joined in East Corinth by Beetlejuice 2 stars Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, and Jenna Ortega as well as Burn Gorman (Pacific Rim, The Dark Knight Rises), who has not been formally announced as part of the cast but was spotted on set. The Ghost with the Most himself, Michael Keaton, was not present, nor were co-stars Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe.
The iconic Deetz residence is situated atop a hill overlooking the town. The façade was recreated where the original once stood. Since it’s located on private property, it was inaccessible to fans but could still be seen from a distance. The sequel finds the home shrouded in sheer black drapery for a post-funeral sequence in which the house itself is in mourning. O’Hara and Ryder were present for the scene, as was Delia’s sculpture from the original film.
Samson Zilic, a Massachusetts-based aspiring actor who worked as an extra in the scene, tells me, “It was very organized and professional. Tim Burton was hands-on and amazing to watch. We were on top of a hill in beautiful Vermont. It was a great atmosphere to be in.” It was O’Hara’s final scene for the film, with Burton and Ryder celebrating her wrap with hugs while the rest of the cast and crew gave her a round of applause. She graciously responded by recognizing the importance of the background actors.
Janai Planck, owner of Corinth’s Winter River Glampground — its name an homage to the location’s Beetlejuice roots — also worked as an extra. Despite the long hours and out-of-season wardrobe in 90° heat, the experience was worthwhile. “To have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stand in the midst of such incredible talent was something I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life. The cast and crew were all incredibly kind, patient, funny, and down-to-earth. They treated us very well, and we all tried hard to exceed their expectations.”
Maitland Hardware is no more in Beetlejuice 2, with a new façade for Rewind Coffee Roasters now standing in its place. The shop’s advertised offerings include coffee, tea, smoothies, shakes, and “Frulacto” vegan yogurt. Pammy’s Pet Parlour has replaced Old Bill’s barber shop next door. The fire department, church, and Jane Butterfield’s Real Estate & Travel Agency remain in the surrounding area, along with the new addition of Winter River Vintage.
All of the locations, along with several neighboring houses, were decorated for Halloween. Indeed, at least a portion of Beetlejuice 2 will be set on Halloween, including a trick-or-treating sequence that was filmed at night in East Corinth. Not unlike John Carpenter’s Halloween, the crew was equipped with bags of brown leaves to make the summer season look more like fall. Eagle-eyed viewers may be able to spot a pumpkin carved to resemble The Nightmare Before Christmas‘ Jack Skellington in the window of the vintage store.
Brandon, an aspiring local filmmaker who was hired as a security guard, was tasked with keeping spectators off the set. “A lot of the locals have been coming together to engage with all of this. There’s been a lot of community around it. It’s been really cool to see. You never expect these cinema legends to pop up in East Corinth, a town that’s in the middle of nowhere. It’s an incredible experience for all of us.” He adds, “It’s like one big celebration of not just Beetlejuice but East Corinth as a town itself.”
Down the street is Miss Shannon’s School for Girls, which Lydia Deetz attended in the first film. A permanent landmark, the 101-year-old schoolhouse had served as a Masonic lodge for decades until last year, when it was purchased by Beetlejuice super-fan Kendall Gendron with the goal of renovating it into a nonprofit community center, event venue, and Beetlejuice museum. It will make another appearance in Beetlejuice 2, complete with a new sign out front identical to the original.
“The shoot was a surreal experience. I got to be an integral part of the shooting of the sequel to my favorite film,” says Gendron. “I have a lifelong love affair with Beetlejuice, which is why I moved to East Corinth, why I hustled for two years to purchase a piece of its history, and why I ultimately named my nonprofit [Miss Shannon’s School House] after the school in the film. I’m hoping they let me keep the sign for my future museum!”
Just around the corner from downtown is the red-covered bridge where the Maitland’s plummeted to their death in Beetlejuice. The original bridge cover has been relocated to the nearby Northeast Slopes, where it’s been repurposed for storage, so a new one was constructed for the sequel. The speed limit posted on the nearby “Welcome to Wind River” sign has been adjusted from 30 miles per hour in the original to 15 for the sequel, perhaps due to the Maitlands’ fatal crash.
Jerry Coles, who documents horror movie filming locations via the Instagram account Famous Horror & Film Locations, utilized his airline job for an impromptu flight from England to visit East Corinth. “I really wanted to come here. I read other peoples’ comments online saying they were going to tear it down. I had four days off, so I jumped on a plane and came over. It’s amazing. It’s like walking into the film.”
In addition to the funeral, trick or treating, and school scenes, additional footage shot in East Corinth included Jenna Ortega (along with her stunt double) riding a bicycle through town and a driving sequence with Gorman.
Epic Film Guys podcast co-host Justin Esquivel drove nine hours from Vermont to visit the locations. “To walk the sets early in the morning with a very Tim Burton-like heavy fog roaming in the air gave the perfect atmosphere to take it all in with my own two eyes. After all of these years of hoping and waiting for a Beetlejuice sequel, knowing it’s finally happening and being able to see the experience, it all was a dream come true.”
Massachusetts native Nick Rodolosi has been a Beetlejuice fan since seeing the original in theaters as a child, going so far as to get a large tattoo dedicated to the film. “I was a kid who wore a lot of black, so I vibed very well with Winona Ryder’s character. The aesthetic, the characters, I loved it. I definitely wanted to see the locations. Fans were giving each other advice on where to go for the best views and helping each other out with pictures. It’s nice to see a big community for the movie itself.”
The SAG-AFTRA strike brought Beetlejuice 2‘s production to a halt after two days in East Corinth. While the general consensus is that shooting was completed in the area, additional filming was being prepared in the Boston suburb of Melrose, Massachusetts. I stopped by the location to find a dilapidated treehouse in a gnarled tree that screams “Tim Burton.”
The East Corinth sets have already started coming down and will be completely removed by the end of the month. Unfortunately, reports of theft of props have dampened the experience for the production and locals alike. If you plan to venture to the location, please be respectful. (I also recommend getting a cartoonishly large Italian sub from East Corinth General Store.)
Beetlejuice 2 is scheduled to haunt theaters on September 6, 2024, although the ongoing strikes could delay its release. Until then, you can enjoy more of my photos below. Perhaps if we all say his name three times, it’ll be showtime for Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.
