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It's not about one being animated and the other not, it's about the fact I have heard, seen, witnessed a different version of Beetlejuice and liked it, so there already has been another guy as Beetlejuice before and it was fine.

Wait a second... how did all this talk of Keaton reprising the role start exactly? Just in case anyone got the idea from my posts that I think it will only work with him in the role, let me be perfectly clear: I think the idea of a Beetlejuice follow-up in any capacity is a disaster and flat-out shouldn't happen.

David Katzen­berg: We’re not remaking Beetlejuice. People have been very angry about that.

Seth Grahame-Smith: When Warner Bros. came to us about it, we said the only way we’d do it if we got Tim [Burton’s] blessing and involvement, and we got that, and the star of the movie has to be Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, and it’s a true continuation 26 years later. Not just throwing him in as a cameo going, “Hey, it’s me. I endorse this movie.” We’re not there yet [with Keaton] because we don’t have a film to present to him.

Q: Is it true that you're considering doing another "Beetlejuice" film?

Tim Burton: Yes. I love that character, and Michael [Keaton] is so great in it. I always think about how great and fun that character was, so I just said to Seth [Grahame-Smith], "If you have some idea about it, go for it, and then I'll look at it freshly." In the past, I tried some things, but that was way back when. He seemed really excited about it.

Q: Has he run any of his ideas by you yet?

Tim Burton: No. I told him to try some stuff, but he hasn't come back to me yet. Michael was so great in it. I'm sure he'd strangely tap right back into it.

Seth Grahame-Smith was asked about the latest on the project and to see how close the sequel was to becoming a reality.

"It's a reality in the sense that I met with Michael Keaton last week," Grahame-Smith told us. "We talked for a couple of hours and talked about big picture stuff. It's a priority for Warner Bros. It's a priority for Tim. Right now, I am writing an animated movie for Tim based on an idea of mine. Then I adapt Unholy Night [based on the upcoming book]. The third I am hoping is Beetlejuice in terms of writing schedule."

And what was Keaton's excitement level like?

"Huge," the writer added, "he's been wanting to do it for 20 years and he'll talk to anybody about it who will listen. I really told him, I have a huge reverence for Tim and a huge reverence for that film in general. I don't think we should do it if we shit on the legacy. He agrees. So, right now, it remains to be seen, I have a couple of story ideas, but we're very early out."