Renowned composer Danny Elfman has been with legendary director Tim Burton since the beginning, scoring the filmmaker’s first feature film Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure 1995. Then, in 1988, Elfman created the iconic score for Beetlejuice and 36 years later, he took another cinematic adventure to Winter River, Connecticut, to create the score for Burton’s blockbuster sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

While Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was still in production, Burton said it was like seeing “demon possession” as Michael Keaton returned to the role more than three and a half decades after the release of the classic supernatural comedy original.

Fortunately for Elfman, his work on the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice snapped into place in much the same way.

“You have to realize that with all the movies I’ve done with Tim, Batman is the only exception where there were two,” Elfman told me in a Zoom conversation this week. “There were parts that I loved writing and it was such a great playground to be in – and then suddenly they’re gone. I realize then that I’ll never be able to write this music again and I’m sad.”

ForbesMichael Keaton: Tim Burton kept ‘Beetlejuice 2’ a secret from himOf Tim Lammers

As such, Elfman notes, gets “the chance to jump back into the same playground” with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice after all these years was “a real treat”.

“It really took a quick second to get back into that mindset,” Elfman enthused. “So I know exactly what Michael felt. It was like, ‘Oh yeah, I’m back!’

Elfman’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Score from Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is new to digital on Friday, while the vinyl and CD versions will be released in early 2025. The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice the original score includes Elfman’s 29 tracks from the film including, of course, that one Main title theme from Beetlejuice.

While Main title theme from Beetlejuice is undoubtedly perfection, Elfman said he couldn’t resist the idea of ​​reconfiguring it slightly when it came to the sequel with Ghost with the Most.

“I messed with it a little bit. I had to go a little crazier and of course when you have a final score suite — that’s where you really go crazy,” Elfman enthuses. “I brought in this pipe organ that a friend of mine has here in Los Angeles and wrote in some organ stuff that was different from the original.”

Yet the spirit of composing and recording the score for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was the same as the original — with quite a bit more time to work on, that is.

“There are things in it that I would have loved to do back then, but I didn’t have access to,” Elfman said. “The first one Beetlejuice was a low-budget film and just to get in three days of recording with an orchestra – just to finish the score – was a miracle.”

Elfman indulged his love of universal monsters in the “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” score

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice— which is playing in theaters and available on digital streaming — takes place mostly in Winter River, Connecticut, where Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) and her stepmother Delia (Catherine O’Hara) return for the funeral of family patriarch Charles and once again encounter Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton).

Among the new characters joining Beetlejuice, Lydia and Delia for the sequel are Lydia’s teenage daughter, Astrid (Jenna Ortega), Lydia’s boyfriend, Rory (Justin Theroux), and Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe), who is a deceased actor in Afterlife.

Forbes‘Wednesday’ creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar on Tim Burton writing ‘Beetlejuice 2’Of Tim Lammers

Also key to the story is Beetlejuice’s vengeful ex-wife, Delores (Monica Bellucci). The inclusion of Delores in the story gave screenwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar an opportunity to explore Beetlejuice’s background.

As a bonus, the backstory sequence gave Tim Burton a chance to film one Beetlejuice Beetlejuice scene in black and white and Danny Elfman to do so as a tribute to the classic films in the Universal Monsters universe. Since both Burton and Elfman are Universal Monsters aficionados, the opportunity was a dream come true.

“Tim and I decided early on to do it. For example, we came up with a tone and a feel for Monica’s nasty character and it became its own thing,” says Elfman. “So it’s different from the original score, but the core of the score wraps around still by Beetlejuice.”

Elfman is preparing for his last two American concerts this year

In addition to celebrating the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice score (Water Tower Music), the iconic composer is getting ready to return to the concert stage for the last two shows he has scheduled in the US this year, dubbed Danny Elfman: From Boingo to Batman to Big Mess and Beyond!

The concerts will feature Elfman’s rock band, an orchestra and a choir, similar to his acclaimed set at the 2022 Coachella Music and Arts Festival.

Elfman said music from his Beetlejuice Beetlejuice do will of course be included in the concerts, which are set for Saturday, November 2 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and Sunday, November 3 at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California.

As the title of the concerts suggests, the shows will feature Elfman’s music from Oingo Boingo, his solo works including selections from his 2021 album Big mess and selections from his prolific career as a composer for film and television.

“The show is divided in a crazy way,” Elfman said. “One third of the show is early music coming back to Boingo and one third of the show is new music that I’m doing now, plus some world premieres that no one has heard.”

Additionally, Elfman added, one-third of the show is soundtracks highlighting the musician’s work with Tim Burton.

Together, of course, the director and composer have collaborated in such classic films as Alice in Wonderland, Batman, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie, Sleepy Hollow, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice and its sequel and Netflix series Wednesday.

Forbes‘Beetlejuice 2’ writers break down (spoilers) hilarious origin sceneOf Tim Lammers

Elfman noted that there will be some points that don’t come from Burton Danny Elfman: From Boingo to Batman to Big Mess and Beyond! also.

“Maybe there is a suite from The Simpsons. I can’t say for sure,” Elfman teased with a smile. – Primarily, there are eight musical suites and we have a full orchestra playing on stage with us. It’s a really insane show and it’s almost impossible to tour with it. Can you imagine what kind of band tours with 65 people?”

Tickets for the Elfman’s Hollywood Bowl and Shoreline Ampitheatre shows are available at Ticketmaster.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Score from Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is available on Friday on digital and will be released on vinyl and CD in early 2025.

ForbesHow ‘Don’t Move’ Directors Ground Netflix Thriller in Real HorrorOf Tim Lammers