If you dare, say his name three times.
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.
Then, if you still have the courage, knock three times on the brick wall of a dusty attic and enter the afterlife by diving into the ghostly world of the mad bio-exorcist in a new immersive pop-up experience called Beetlejuice: The Afterlife Experience.
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The Afterlife Experience opened on August 23 in a 11,000-square-foot space at Ovation Hollywood and was created in conjunction with “Beetlejuice,” the sequel to the original 1988 Tim Burton film in which Michael Keaton played Beetlejuice, a ghost and bio-exorcist hired by a recently deceased couple to get rid of the people living in their house. The Burton-directed sequel hits theaters on September 6, with Keaton reprising her role as the crazed ghost and Winona Ryder reprising her role as Lydia Deetz.
“We want people to feel like they are in the gruesome world of Beetlejuice and really get excited about the film. This way they can relive some of their favorite moments from Beetlejuice,” says Sofia Altuna, regional team leader for Fever, a live entertainment company that has partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery for the attraction.
Fans of the film will be able to enter the afterlife in real life, with meticulously recreated sets and ghostly creatures wandering around. And of course, people will meet Beetlejuice.
“There are details in every area and we had a lot of fun recreating everything,” Altuna said.
The experience begins in the old attic seen in the original film, which is the portal to the afterlife. There, visitors see the “Handbook for the Recently Deceased” lying on a table next to an old television. Visitors must then find the correct spot on a brick wall and knock three times. When they knock on the correct spot, the wall opens to reveal the whimsical path to the afterlife, as visitors walk through a checkered floor hallway where oddly shaped doors lead to the infamous waiting room from the original film.
Walk up, take a number, and sit between two ghosts while you wait for your afterlife agent to call you to the information desk. From there, movie fans will proceed to the immigration room where they’ll get an afterlife pass stamped. After that, the real death party begins, and visitors enter a cavernous hall where Beetlejuice and his friends are waiting.
Is this heaven? Maybe it’s because there’s an actual bar serving spooky drinks like the Spicy Sandworm Rita and the Shake Senora Spritz. And yes, the recently deceased still need to eat, so there’s also the Afterlife Diner, a 1950s-inspired diner serving dishes like the Freshly Exorcised Flatbread and Haunt Dogs. The space also houses Beetlejuice’s office, where he currently works as a family therapist, and a hair salon where visitors can actually get their hair dyed to match the recently deceased creatures.
But danger lurks too, so keep an eye out for the infamous sandworm crawling around in a sand-filled room. And get ready to board a real-life soul train when you enter the Afterlife Train, a replica of a train carriage adorned with a disco ball and party lights while dance music blares.
“It will take you to your final destination, whether that’s the gates of heaven or the fires of damnation. But you’re going to have a really good time on that train,” said Kathleen Wallis, vice president of global themed entertainment at Warner Bros. Discovery.
Once people enter the attraction, there is no time limit on exiting, so movie fans can party with Beetlejuice forever, or at least until closing time.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: Life after death
When: 4pm-9pm weekdays and 11am-9pm Wednesday-Sunday until October
Where: Ovation Hollywood Suite 201, 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood
Tickets: General admission starts at $25
Information: beetlejuiceexperience.com/los-angeles
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