Winona Ryder & Tim Burton’s Perfect Next Reunion Isn’t Beetlejuice 3
Tim Burton and Winona Ryder are expected to reunite for the confirmed Beetlejuice 3 movie, but Netflix now has the perfect opportunity to beat Warner Bros. to the punch. Winona Ryder and Tim Burton’s collaborative history dates back to 1988’s Beetlejuice, when Ryder was just 15 years old. Since then, the actress has appeared in several hit Tim Burton movies, including Edward Scissorhands (1990), Frankenweenie (2012) and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024).
Following the critical and commercial success of Beetlejuice 2 in fall 2024, Warner Bros. soon revealed that Beetlejuice 3 was in the works. While the story, cast, and Burton’s involvement are still unclear, it’s expected that he’ll return and Beetlejuice 3 will continue the Deetz family’s story with Ryder’s Lydia and Jenna Ortega’s Astrid in the lead.
With no significant updates on Beetlejuice 3 following the long-awaited sequel’s debut over a year ago, a third film shouldn’t be expected for quite some time. Meanwhile, the only confirmed forthcoming Tim Burton project already in motion is Wednesday season 3, which could be an even stronger substitute for his next reunion with Winona Ryder.
Winona Ryder & Tim Burton’s Next Reunion Should Be On Wednesday Season 3
Rather than Beetlejuice 3, which Tim Burton has said little to nothing about and seemingly had no intentions of making ahead of Beetlejuice 2, an ideal reunion between the director and Winona Ryder could very well be organized in Wednesday season 3. With the return of the series already confirmed and Burton enjoying multiple roles as director and executive producer, bringing Ryder into the fold could very well happen.
The cast of Netflix’s Wednesday series has already provided some long-awaited reunions between Tim Burton and actors from his hit movies, including Sleepy Hollow’s Christina Ricci, Edward Scissorhands’ Anthony Michael Hall, and Big Fish’s Steve Buscemi. This history establishes a precedent to recruit more of Tim Burton’s frequent collaborators to appear in Wednesday, with Ryder being one of his most popular stars.
Not to mention, Winona Ryder’s most recent Tim Burton project saw her play the mother of Wednesday’s leading star Jenna Ortega. If Ryder were to join Wednesday season 3, the series would beat Beetlejuice 3’s anticipated reunion in more ways than one. The chemistry between Ryder and Ortega was among Beetlejuice 2’s strongest elements, so reuniting the two stars under Burton’s direction is an opportunity that’s difficult to pass up.
We’ve also never seen Tim Burton and Winona Ryder collaborate on the TV format – only through outings on the big screen. With Burton and Ryder both making huge moves to TV in recent years, Wednesday offers the perfect chance to bring them together in a project with a fresh dynamic and approach.
Winona Ryder’s Netflix History & Stranger Things’ Ending Make A Wednesday Cameo More Likely
The notion that Winona Ryder could very well appear in Wednesday season 3 isn’t just based on her long-time association with Tim Burton, but also her highly successful history with Netflix. Winona Ryder’s casting was a significant reason why Stranger Things season 1 initially became such a big topic of interest back in 2016, soon becoming one of Netflix’s biggest and most popular TV shows of all time.
Ryder has been a huge mainstay in all five seasons of Stranger Things, with Netflix’s series giving her a massive career comeback while also being supportive of her condition to allow her to work on Beetlejuice 2 if it ever happened. After seeing how successful Beetlejuice 2 was with audiences, it’d now be shocking if Netflix didn’t try to take advantage of it by bringing Ryder and Burton together again.
Netflix’s biggest collaborations with the two creatives, separately, have yielded two of the streamer’s biggest success stories of all time, so why wouldn’t they find a way to unite those appeals? With Stranger Things season 5 being the series’ final outing, Netflix convincing Ryder to join Tim Burton’s Wednesday would be a beneficial way to keep her in the fold with the streaming service and provide a follow-up for those missing her Joyce Byers performance.
Surprisingly, given Netflix often reuses its actors across various projects, Wednesday’s cast has yet to recruit any major Stranger Things actors. However, Winona Ryder would also make the most sense to finally break that streak due to her history with Ortega, Burton, and Wednesday creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (who wrote Beetlejuice 2’s screenplay).
Winona Ryder Would Fit Perfectly In Tim Burton’s Wednesday
If anyone from Stranger Things or Tim Burton’s recent projects could join the world of Wednesday with ease, it’s Winona Ryder. The gothic aesthetic, supernatural focus, outcast story, nostalgic edge, and darker horror turn fit perfectly with many of Ryder’s most iconic roles. Beetlejuice, Heathers, Edward Scissorhands, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and even Stranger Things can draw comparisons to Wednesday in various ways.
If it was 1989, it’s likely that Tim Burton would have cast Winona Ryder as a teenage Wednesday Addams (Christina Ricci still would have been too young, even playing Ryder’s kid sister in the 1990 film Mermaids). Today, Ryder could still be a compelling fit for other members of Wednesday’s Addams family or even some new unrelated supernatural characters connected to Nevermore, Jericho, or the Frumps.
One common fancast to play Ophelia Frump in Wednesday season 3 is Winona Ryder, with the character finally being introduced in Wednesday season 2’s ending. However, only Ophelia’s back and white hair were shown in the season 2 finale, indicating the series is waiting to officially cast the meaty role.
Ryder would be a fitting choice to play the sister of Catherine Zeta-Jones’ Morticia, and could certainly bring the paranoia, darkness, and chemistry required opposite Ortega after her roles in Stranger Things and Beetlejuice 2. As exciting as getting the band back together for Beetlejuice 3 would be, Netflix beating the trilogy for another spooky Tim Burton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega collaboration could be even better.
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