The 1980s were a dark time for cinema. Deliciously dark. While adults were being terrified by films like Poltergeist, The Shining, Hellraiser, Cannibal Holocaust, Dead Ringers and A Nightmare On Elm Street, even children’s films had a dark side.

Labyrinth had its BDSM David Bowie; The Neverending Story had the swamp of sadness and the existential threat of the Nothing; Return To Oz had the terrifying Wheelers and the head-swapping Princess Mombi; and even the fuzzy, friendly Gremlins could turn evil, leaving a generation of kids side-eyeing their guinea pigs. Against this backdrop of weird, wonderful. and beloved-but psyche-scarring films, came a man who told us he would be our guide through the darker realms. All we had to do was say his name three times.

Tim Burton’s 1988 dark fantasy-horror comedy Beetlejuice was brilliantly bizarre, following the misadventures of a couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) who die in a tragic accident, and find themselves grappling with the complexities of the afterlife, and their desire to preserve their home by haunting its new occupants, the Deetz family. Delia (Catherine O’Hara) is an eccentric sculptor, and teenage goth daughter Lydia (Winona Ryder) is an aspiring photographer.

Failing to spook the Deetz clan by donning bedsheets and making eerie “Wooooo” sounds in the night, the Maitlands employ the services of Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton), a ‘bio-exorcist’ who promises to scare the Deetzes away, but instead just unleashes endless mischief, misadventure and chaos.

The film was an instant hit, with audiences relishing Keaton’s creepy mania, as well as the blend of slapstick comedy and stylish eeriness.

Winona Ryder’s tulle-clad Lydia became a style icon for goth girls everywhere, while Burton seemed to have perfected his unique genre mixing and trademark spooky aesthetic. But now, 30 years later, it feels like the world is overdue some ghostly chaos. It’s time to say Beetlejuice again.

Burton, Keaton, Ryder and O’Hara are all returning for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, now joined by Gen Z’s new goth girl, Wednesday star Jenna Ortega. Set 36 years after the events of the original, the Deetz family are reeling from a loss and return to their old house. Lydia’s rebellious daughter, Astrid (Ortega), accidentally opens a portal to the afterlife, releasing Beetlejuice once more.

For Ryder, who also collaborated with Burton on Edward Scissorhands and the stop-motion animation film Frankenweenie, returning to Burton’s world was both exciting and intimidating.

“I’ve never returned to a role,” says the 52-year-old actress, who’s become a star to a whole new generation courtesy of Netflix smash Stranger Things. “I’ve done a series, but that’s very different. I don’t even know how many years it’s been – I was 15 when I made it, so it’s a lifetime. There’s an element of terror I think we all had.  But once we started it, you find your rhythm. Tim is very specific, but he’s also really open and that’s what’s so beautiful about him.

“He can be incredibly detailed and remain so open to ideas, or ways to play a scene. You actually do feel like you’re collaborating, which doesn’t always happen. But with Tim, there’s a magic, truly. His heart is in this and I could see how much he related to Lydia, which I found really moving.”

Time has not eroded Beetlejuice’s obsession with Lydia, and Ryder explains that reuniting with Michael Keaton was like experiencing a wild time-warp.

“Seeing him for the first time in make-up again, I’ll never forget that,” she says. “Filming with Michael in the attic, our first scene together, I was just like, ‘Whoa, where, what? Like, what year is this?’ It was a trip – all of my scenes with him were incredible. It was one of the most special experiences I’ve ever had.”

Ryder was only 17 while filming the original, so was now reuniting with Keaton as a peer, and says the experience was a delight.

“It’s going to sound strange, because he’s Beetlejuice and I’m Lydia, but I’ve never felt so safe with an actor before,” she reflects. “He is everything you hope he would be – Michael’s a real genius. Plus, he’s always looking out for you. He will always have your back and make sure you’re comfortable, which is certainly not Beetlejuice, but that’s who Michael is. So, it’s remarkable that he can turn into this other guy.

“It’s kind of amazing, really one of the best times I’ve ever had. Every moment on this, I wanted to be present, because things like this don’t happen – it was so special.”

While Keaton’s career has gone from strength to strength since the original, being nominated for an Oscar for Birdman, and winning multiple awards for the likes of Spotlight, The Trial Of The Chicago 7 and Dopesick, his character has not evolved at a similar rate. Tim Burton was determined to keep the essence of the character true to Keaton’s original portrayal – no personal development allowed.

“There’s not a lot of character depth or growth with Beetlejuice,” laughs the director. “I mean, he kind of is what he is. We reveal certain things about him that we didn’t in the first movie, but it’s such a strange character anyway. That’s why I loved going back to this story, because it was slightly different and had its own set of rules, which I liked.”

Beetlejuice is so ingrained in our pop culture imagination, that for Burton, the challenge was to evoke some of the same magic of the original, while allowing his vision to grow.

“Well, there was the original movie, which we paid tribute to,” he says. “Bo Welch was the designer on that, and I worked with production designer Mark Scruton on this, whom I worked with on Wednesday. So, there are certain aspects I would call ‘part of that world’, except for the house, which was all new. We had some sets that were reminiscent of what we did, because that was the world.

“We expanded it a bit, but again, we didn’t feel like over-expanding. I mean, we built all the sets. So, it got more expansive, but not too much. It was all in that loose spirit of spontaneity and improv, with everybody developing their own characters and getting into it that way.”

One actress who loves to embrace spontaneity is Catherine O’Hara, the comedy legend known for her work on Second City Television, Home Alone and, of course, the truly iconic role of Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek, where her performance as the syllable-twisting eccentric earned endless awards.

O’Hara jumped at the chance to reprieve her role as Delia, and found herself quickly sucked back into the joys of Burton’s world. While Moira Rose and Delia may share an affinity for dark, dramatic ensembles, O’Hara found Delia’s voice closer to her own.

“I was going to watch the first movie to prepare, and then a friend called and said, ‘It’s on!’” says O’Hara. “So, I turned it on and stood there, like I was going to watch it for a minute – and then I just never moved away. It’s so good and fun. And dark and funny – dark and light. I was really glad to watch it, because I had done a strong character on a series recently. I was a little concerned that I would go into that.

“But the dialogue is so different in this and watching the movie really helped. Because really, I talked like myself. I was worried about who Delia would be now, and I thought, ‘Well, who are you now?’ Listening to my original voice, it wasn’t much different from the way I spoke at the time. I thought, ‘Well, I guess she’s aged like I’ve aged, so I basically have my own voice, just a different way of thinking.’ Not as smart and wonderful and talented as I am! Delia wishes she could be me.”

Burton encouraged the actors to improvise, and O’Hara was delighted to find that her comedic chemistry with Michael Keaton was still strong.

“When you have such a good script like this one, it just gives you ideas,” she notes. “When something’s not well written, it  closes your brain down. But when something’s well written and there are great, inspiring ideas in there, it makes you want to try things. And it’s fun. Michael played with lines and added great improvisation. That happens when you have a good script – you play with it. And we most certainly did.”

New to the cast is 21-year-old Wednesday star Ortega, who wasn’t born when the original film was released, and instead grew up in a world where Beetlejuice had already been released into the zeitgeist – and her nightmares.

“I actually don’t think I remember the first time I saw the film, but it was such a recurring presence in a lot of children’s lives,” she says. “But I do remember I was scared of everything when I was younger, and I would have recurring nightmares of Beetlejuice. I had bunk beds at the time and he would swing down and offer me grape juice.”

Ortega had already been working with Burton on Wednesday when she heard about the project, and while the director made the casting process easy, the sense of responsibility around joining the highly anticipated sequel was high.

“The script was really funny,” she enthuses. “I remember being hesitant, because the first one is such a classic. You don’t want to ruin anything or mess things up. But the original cast was back and Tim was obviously really passionate about it. It’s something he’s wanted to do for years. With the experiences I had on the set, I feel really good about it.”

While Ortega was delighted to work with Burton again, one of the big thrills of joining Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was getting to act alongside Ryder, who has been a role model for Ortega all her life.

“I’ve been a fan of Winona for a very long time,” she says. “I think she’s worked on some of the coolest projects. I feel any time I see a film I’m interested in, she just appears. And I think, ‘Oh, of course! She was a part of that.’ She truly has been one of the sweetest co-workers I’ve ever had. I feel like I’ve learned so much from her, and she’s so giving and vulnerable, but just a really good person.

“I never knew if I would have the opportunity to work with her, but I’m really grateful and glad that I did. And I would love – kill – to work with her again.”

Like most of Burton’s films, Beetlejuice Beeltejuice is made to be seen on the big screen, with the breadth of world-building and detail all aiming to inspire the awe and wonder of childhood. For Burton, whose childhood experiences seeing films like Jason And The Argonauts on the big screen inspired his passion for filmmaking, he’s hopeful that audiences will remember the joy of going to the cinema.

“A few years ago, there seemed to be a very polarised thing with cinema or TV, and it was like, ‘What’s it going to be?’” he says. “Luckily, what we’ve seen is that movies are important. We made this movie for the big screen – you make it to be felt in a cinema, for the scope and the size and the sound, all of that. So, it’s very important. I think that polarisation is diminishing a little bit, and people still realise how important and beautiful it is to go to a movie.”

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice is in cinemas now.