Willem Dafoe says he plays a ghost in Beetlejuice 2

Hollywood star Willem Dafoe has revealed that he plays a police officer in the afterlife in Tim Burton's much-hyped sequel to the 80s classic Beetlejuice.

The film will see Michael Keaton reprise his titular character. Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara are also returning in the movie. In an interview with Variety, Dafoe said plays as an undead action star turned detective.

"I haven't seen any footage yet, but it was fun to do," Dafoe said. "I play a police officer in the afterlife, so I'm a dead person. And in life, I was a B-movie action star, but I had an accident and that's what sent me to the other side.

Dafoe said because of his character's skill set, he becomes a detective in the afterlife but that new role is "coloured by the fact of who I was (when I was alive): a B movie action star.

The film marks the reunion of filmmaker Tim Burton and actors Keaton and Winona Ryder, after their stint together in the 1988 original supernatural comedy. 

The original Beetlejuice also starred Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jordan, and Catherine O'Hara among others.  

The plot details of Beetlejuice 2 are kept under wraps by the makers. However, it is known that the film will be a direct sequel to Burton's 1988 original Beetlejuice. 

Also starring Jenna Ortega and Justin Theroux, Beetlejuice 2 is set to release on September 6, 2024.