The Parenting hearkens back to Beetlejuice 2, confirming why a Burton remake would not work despite the temptations to revisit the original. As 2025 has been great for horror comedies, more sequels are expected to come as studios capitalize on the trend. Notably, even a Beetlejuice 2 spinoff on Wolf Jackson has been discussed, proving there’s still an appeтιтe for Burtonian horror comedies following his 2024 sequel and Netflix’s Wednesday. However, the director’s resurgence seems to have also sparked renewed interest in a long-dormant style within the genre.
The Parenting‘s similarities to Beetlejuice highlight Burton’s influence in reviving a specific style within the horror-comedy genre. Warner Bros.’ new movie embraces old-school surreal visuals and practical effects, its ghosts and demons evoking the charm of 80s classics like Ghostbusters and The Addams Family. Additionally, The Parenting brings back the dark, grotesque humor found in Burton’s best works, as well as in films like Evil ᴅᴇᴀᴅ and ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Becomes Her. However, because of its resemblance to Beetlejuice, The Parenting may have just proved that a Burton remake is not a good idea.
Max’s The Parenting Proves A Remake Of Beetlejuice Would Never Work
Most Directors Would Probably Fail To Replicate Beetlejuice’s Burtonian Essence
The Parenting‘s nods to Beetlejuice are evident, mainly as it has a mischievous demon terrorizing a family in a house haunted by ghosts, a repeatable phrase to summon it, and a book that can stop him. The movie’s parallels to Beetlejuice have sparked fresh speculation about what an actual Beetlejuice remake might look like, and whether it could ever work. Despite drawing inspiration from the 1988 hit, the horror comedy film falls short of capturing Burton’s uncanny and otherworldly charm, instead highlighting what often gets lost in modern remakes.
Clearly, The Parenting isn’t a Beetlejuice remake and shouldn’t be judged as one. Instead, it leans into the more basic campy side of the horror-comedy genre, which, though not bad, rarely stands out either. Though it’s a fun and enjoyable movie with an amazing cast, Craig Johnson’s film ultimately demonstrates how difficult it would be for anyone other than Burton to recreate Beeltejuice‘s uniquely gothic, shockingly cohesive, and bizarre vision. Beyond the usual problems of reboots, handing the material to a different director would almost certainly strip it of its beloved Burtonian essence.
I’m Open To More Beetlejuice Sequels, But I’m Glad The Horror-Comedy Genre Is Still Going Strong
The Revival Of 80s-Styled Horror Comedies Could Produce The Next Beetlejuice
Though horror comedies have always had a presence in Hollywood, Beetlejuice 2‘s box office success has clearly reignited interest in the genre. In 2025 alone, 11 horror comedies are being released, with nearly half tied to popular franchises like M3GAN, Five Nights At Freddy’s, the Poohniverse, and Final Destination. Given Hollywood’s current remake trend and the sequel’s performance, it wouldn’t be surprising if Warner Bros. decided to reboot it sometime in the following years — especially since Tim Burton isn’t interested in doing Beetlejuice 3.
As films like The Parenting, Lisa Frankenstein, and We Have a Ghost continue gaining traction, the genre’s momentum could pave the way for bold new experiments — perhaps even the next Beetlejuice.
Notably, only Henry Selick could replace Tim Burton, known for directing Coraline, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and James and the Giant Peach. However, it would be much better if the studio focused on future installments of Beetlejuice 2 instead of a remake. That said, it’s just as exciting to get fresh Burton projects and to witness the continued resurgence of 80s-style horror comedies. As films like The Parenting, Lisa Frankenstein, and We Have a Ghost continue gaining traction, the genre’s momentum could pave the way for bold new experiments — perhaps even the next Beetlejuice.
