Why Is The Dad Missing From Beetlejuice 2? Jeffrey Jones' Absence Explained

9 September 2024, 12:36 | Updated: 12 September 2024, 15:40

By Sam Prance

Here's why Charles Deetz is not in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has left fans wondering why Jeffrey Jones didn't return as Charles Deetz in the long-awaited sequel.

Created over 30 years after the original film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sees the original cast reunite for an equally hilarious, heartwarming and horrifying take on where Lydia Deetz is now. Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara and Michael Keaton all reprise their roles from the 1988 movie with Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe joining the cast as new characters.

However, several original cast members are missing. Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin don't return as beloved ghosts Barbara and Adam Maitland. And then, perhaps most notably, Jeffrey Jones doesn't appear as Lydia's dad Charles even though his character still features heavily in the plot. Fans are now divided over how the movie approaches it.

WARNING: Spoilers ahead of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice!

• Read more: Winona Ryder Says They Were "Waiting For Jenna Ortega To Be Born" To Do Beetlejuice Sequel
• Read more: When Will Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Be On Streaming? How To Watch Beetlejuice 2 Online

Why is the dad not in Beetlejuice 2?

Why is Jeffrey Jones not in Beetlejuice 2?

Neither Tim Burton nor the cast have addressed Jeffrey Jones' absence in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. However, it's likely due to his status as a registered sex offender. In 2003, Jeffrey pleaded no contest to charges of possession of child pornography after he allegedly hired a 14-year-old boy to pose for lewd photographs.

According to an Entertainment Weekly report at the time, the actor was sentenced to "five years probation and ordered [...] to undergo counselling and to be placed on a registry of sex offenders for the rest of his life." He has since been arrested twice for failing to update his sex offender status.

What happens to Charles Deetz in Beetlejuice Beelejuice?

As for how Beetlejuice 2 works around Jeffrey not being in the film, we find out at the start of the movie that Charles has died. Delia explains to her step-granddaughter Astrid that Charles was in a plane crash and decapitated by a shark. The movie demonstrates what happened with a stop-motion animation.

Charles then does actually appear in the underworld in the film but he's headless body who's portrayed by an uncredited actor. All the while, the characters mourn his death and host a funeral for him.

The decision has divided fans with some people praising how they tackle Jeffrey's absence and others arguing that it's "uncomfortable" how present his character is in the film.

Why are Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin not in Beetlejuice 2?

As for Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin not being in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice? Speaking to People, Tim Burton said: "I think the thing was for me I didn't want to just tick any boxes. So even though they were such an amazing integral part of the first one, I was focusing on something else."

Back in 2022, Davis also told People that she didn't see how she or Alec could be in the sequel: "I have a feeling that ghosts don't age. How would they explain that they're older?"

In the sequel, Lydia explains to her daughter Astrid that Adam and Barbara were able to "move on" from their Winter River home after discovering a loophole.

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