Casting, as it always is, was a ridiculously important part of the equation here. Originally, for the titular role, Burton had envisioned Rat Pack singer Sammy Davis Jr. That didn’t pan out. Instead, Warner Bros. and the up-and-coming filmmaker turned to “Mr. Mom” star Michael Keaton, who was very much on the rise at that time. The rest of the ensemble was filled out with reliable character actors, including Catherine O’Hara (“After Hours”), Glenn Shadix (“Heathers”), and relative newcomer Winona Ryder. The chemistry between all of the actors proved to be the secret sauce.
Burton was given a sizable (at least by 1988 standards) $15 million budget to work with. Still, the filmmaker had a lot to accomplish with that money, from elaborate sets to stop-motion sequences, and a number of practical effects. Not to mention costumes, props, and everything else that gives the film that now-signature Burton charm. Not to get ahead of ourselves here, but “Beetlejuice” would go on to win the Oscar for Best Makeup.
Another key element was the soundtrack, which was composed by Burton’s frequent collaborator Danny Elfman. The pair had worked together on “Pee-Wee” as well. Here, though, much of the sound that audiences would come to associate with the duo would come to fruition. Elfman’s job was not easy though, as he ended up doing the score two times over. His first pass, which was based on the script, didn’t match up with what came out of Burton’s mind.
“As soon as I saw it, I was like, ‘Oh, this is not the movie I was imagining in my head. This is something else completely,'” Elfman explained in a 2023 interview. “Michael Keaton brought this energy, and that’s what I’m latching onto.” It speaks volumes about what Burton brought to the material. Speaking further, Elfman helped sum up the energy that permeated the film, giving it that distinctive, chaotic quality we all know today:
“Tim just let me go crazy and run amok. And I was like, ‘Great. If you’re game, I’ll just go nutty the whole time until you tell me to stop. Until you tell me that I’ve gone too far.’ And he almost never told me that I’ve gone too far, fortunately, which is one of the reasons I love working with him.”
