Monica Bellucci has become the latest name to be added to the star-studded cast of the long-awaited Beetlejuice sequel.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Italian actress will feature alongside previously announced actors Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder, Justin Theroux, Catherine O’Hara and Michael Keaton, who will be reviving his role as the ghost.

While plot details are being kept carefully under wraps, it has been revealed that Bellucci will be playing Beetlejuice’s wife.

Beetlejuice 2 has also been given a release date, which is the same as Marvel’s Blade.

However, it was announced this week that work on the latter film has been suspended because of the writers' strike, so Blade could move out of that spot.

The existence of Beetlejuice 2 has long been rumoured, with early reports of it appearing in 2011. In 2014, Keaton acknowledged speaking to Burton about it, and, in 2017, Burton declared that the sequel was “closer than ever”.

Here’s what we know about the upcoming Beetlejuice 2.

What is the release date for Beetlejuice 2?

According to Warner Bros, Beetlejuice 2 will hit cinemas on September 6, 2024.

What is the sequel about?

Little is known about Beetlejuice 2’s plot as production only commenced on May 10.

The film is being produced by Brad Pitt’s Plan B. The screenplay was written by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who worked with director Tim Burton on Wednesday.

Here’s a little reminder of the first Beetlejuice.

Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin play a married couple named Barbara and Adam Maitland in the 1988 film. After they are killed in a car accident the rich Deetz family moves into their home. Barbara and Adam then start haunting the house in an effort to drive the unwelcome visitors away.

They also hire Keaton's “bio-exorcist" Beetlejuice from their netherworld to help them but they wind up getting more than they bargained for.

Who is in the cast for Beetlejuice 2?

Beetlejuice is returning with Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice and Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz. Other cast members include Wednesday star Jenna Ortega as the daughter of Ryder’s character, Monica Bellucci as Beetlejuice’s wife as well as Justin Theroux in an unspecified role.

This will be the second time Ortega has worked with Burton in two years, which suggests that Burton enjoys working with her, as he is known to with Ryder. Ortega and Burton previously worked on the comedy horror Netflix series Wednesday, which was released in 2022.

According to Digital Spy, Ortega “declined” the part of Wednesday a “couple of times” but following a meeting with Burton, she agreed to take on the role.