Just over six months after Beetlejuice 2 released in theaters, Warner Bros released a new horror comedy film on Max that feels like a loose remake of Tim Burton’s 1988 original. Beetlejuice falls into the category of Warner Bros’ most beloved franchises, with the movie becoming a cult classic thanks to the incredible performances by the cast, the clever script, and Tim Burton’s signature strange style. Even though it took 36 years for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to reach fruition, the entertaining sequel hit theaters in September 2024, garnering praise from fans and critics.

Immediately, the question came up about where the story would go next, raising hope for Beetlejuice 3. The company seems to want to capitalize on the success of Beetlejuice and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice without committing to a threequel. Warner Bros just released a film called The Parenting on Max that might as well be a more horror-leaning remake of Tim Burton’s 1988 film with how many Easter eggs and parallels they included.

Warning: This article includes SPOILERS for The Parenting!

Max’s The Parenting Is Filled With Easter Eggs & Parallels To Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice

The Parenting Has Over 20 Beetlejuice Easter Eggs & Parallels

The Parenting feels like a very loose remake of Beetlejuice with the sheer number of parallels. At face value, the two premises are extremely similar. A family goes to a house that’s haunted by a poltergeist who wants to be alive and a ghost family from the ’80s. The poltergeist is summoned by repeating a specific phrase/name multiple times in a row, and he has the ability to shape-shift, possess people, teleport, and alter reality (to a small degree). A book helps the living individuals understand the paranormal events going on in the remote home.

Additionally, The Parenting is packed with Beetlejuice Easter Eggs, like the use of Beetlejuice green lighting when Frank is possessed, the hairstyles of Allie and Brenda during the summoning scene, and the dinner table song. The entrances to the homes are laid out similarly, and the walls have kitschy wallpaper. The head of Andras looks like the beaks on the Maitlands. Brenda also has the same eccentric and vapid personality as Delia Deetz. While not everything matches up in the two movies, The Parenting feels like an homage to Beetlejuice, if not a knockoff of the Tim Burton film.

The Parenting Has A Great Cast, But Its Reviews Can’t Rival Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Movies

The Parenting’s Reviews Are Much More Critical Than Beetlejuice’s Reviews

One of the most appealing aspects of the Max film is The Parenting’s incredible cast, which is just as prestigious and packed with A-listers as Beetlejuice. The parents of Rohan and Josh are played by Lisa Kudrow, Dean Norris, Brian Cox, and Edie Falco – all of whom are prolific in Hollywood. Parker Posey is just as hilarious in The Parenting as she’s been in her other roles. Additionally, even though they’re younger, Nik Dodani and Brandon Flynn have made a name for themselves as well since gaining fame in Atypical and 13 Reasons Why, respectively.

Despite having a fantastic cast, the reviews for The Parenting come nowhere near that of Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice. The Parenting holds a 44% Tomatometer score, with critics pointing to the issues with the characters being described as flat, the script as weak, and the effects as dated. Most of the reviews acknowledge that the actors give great performances, but that can’t make up for the flaws. Meanwhile, Beetlejuice is Certified Fresh with an 83% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praise the film for effectively balancing the horror and comedy while adding a dash of bizareness from the mind of Tim Burton.

The Parenting Proves Why A Proper Beetlejuice Remake Wouldn’t Work

Beetlejuice Needs Filmmaker Tim Burton In Order To Succeed

The Parenting is a fun and unapologetically campy film, and it’s entertaining to try and spot all the Beetlejuice nods. However, the parallels and Easter eggs also draw attention to the fact that The Parenting isn’t Beetlejuice. It feels like it’s trying too hard to be something rather than establishing its own idenтιтy. This just goes to show how difficult it is to recapture the unique magic that Tim Burton created in the 1988 film. The only version of the show that succeeded without that creator’s input was Beetlejuice the Musical. The comics and books never captured the ambiance and tone.

Moreover, the Max film proves why Tim Burton should be involved in any sequels past Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Without the director’s vision, the second film might have felt more like an homage or ripoff, like The Parenting, instead of a proper part of the Beetlejuice franchise. A possible Beetlejuice 3, which has been teased but not confirmed, would lose what makes the franchise special.