Johnny Depp may have won his libel case against Amber Heard, but will it be enough to make him a sought-after name in Hollywood again? Many fans are still clinging to the hope that he will return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise as his beloved character, Captain Jack Sparrow. However, if rumors are to be believed, Beetlejuice 2 may be Depp's first step towards a comeback.
Beetlejuice is centered on the story of a dead married couple who returns to the land of the living as ghosts and becomes set on driving a bothersome family out of their former home. Over the years, the film has achieved cult status, and there has been much debate among its die-hard devotees on whether a Beetlejuice sequel is even necessary.
According to some reports, including one from the National Post, Depp's much-anticipated Hollywood comeback may not be Pirates of the Caribbean, but a completely different franchise: Beetlejuice. Rumors that Depp has been cast in a sequel project scheduled for 2025 surfaced after his name was reportedly seen on a call sheet circulating on Google. Depp was listed alongside Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, who are both rumored to be reprising their original roles from the 1988 film by Tim Burton. Once fans found out that Depp might be involved, they were all for it, saying that they would be thrilled to see him be a part of the classic story, opposite his old flame Ryder, no less.
Ryder spoke to USA TODAY earlier this year and expressed her excitement for the rumored project. She explained that the only way they could do the sequel justice is if everything was "perfect" and if they had "all the people" from the original film. That said, we can assume that Ryder wouldn't be opposed to Depp coming on board even though he isn't an original cast member, since she publicly defended him against Heard's allegations throughout their long-winded legal battle.
The IMDb page for Beetlejuice 2 was also updated with an unverified Beetlejuice 2 synopsis, which mentioned the return of the original cast as well as some "new additions." Although Depp was not mentioned in the description, many people have assumed that Depp will be one of the newcomers, next to comedian Will Arnett and Stranger Things star David Harbour.
Beetlejuice 2 is reportedly in the works at Warner Bros. and is currently eyeing a 2025 release date.
Source: IMDb, National Post