Tim Burton recently rejected the idea of making an ranking high among Tim Burton’s best movies, Edward Scissorhands has maintained a beloved reputation over the past 34 years since its premiere, with the 1990 romantic fantasy being one of the greatest examples of Burton’s unique filmmaking style, gothic aesthetic, and thematic explorations of outcasts. Due to its enduring popularity, the possibility of seeing Edward Scissorhands 2 eventually happen has often been a point of discussion.
However, Tim Burton recently dispelled that idea. Following Burton’s 2024 box office hit Beetlejuice 2, a sequel to his 1988 cult classic horror-comedy Beetlejuice, he was asked about potentially returning to other cherished films from early in his career. Despite numerous calls for them over the years, Burton noted that he had no intentions of making sequels to movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) or Edward Scissorhands. Though Beetlejuice 2 was a big success, it’s a relief that Edward Scissorhands 2 isn’t happening, as it would inevitably face some obstacles in bringing back Johnny Depp as the titular character.
Edward Scissorhands 2 Wouldn't Work Unless Johnny Depp Was De-Aged Throughout The Sequel
Edward Isn't Supposed To Physically Age
Burton revealed that he would be interested in making another movie with Johnny Depp, but Edward Scissorhands 2 isn’t the right project. The director explained that he felt Edward Scissorhands was a “one-off thing,” which is also the reason he gave for being uninterested in a sequel to The Nightmare Before Christmas. Burton has notably been more strict about which movies he chooses to return to with sequels, which so far only include Batman Returns (1992) and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. But, even if he did opt to make Edward Scissorhands 2, it wouldn’t be an easy film to follow up.
How Old Edward Scissorhands Is (& Is He Immortal?)
Edward Scissorhands is one of Tim Burton's most memorable characters, but how old is he and is he going to live forever? Let's take a look.
For one, Edward Scissorhands 2 wouldn’t work without bringing back the title character, yet Johnny Depp having aged 34 years since the 1990 film makes that difficult. The fantasy movie establishes early on that Depp’s Edward Scissorhands doesn’t age – he’s a young man created by an inventor whose biology, even outside his scissors for hands, doesn’t necessarily conform to that of humans. When Edward was originally created, he had the appearance of a young adult, and he never grew to look older during the time that he was alone in the house after the death of Vincent Price’s inventor character.
Therefore, if Edward Scissorhands 2 happened, Burton would be presented with the problem of explaining why Edward suddenly aged 34 years, yet returned to his youthful appearance decades later.
Furthermore, Edward Scissorhands’ ending confirms that Edward lived in that house on the hill for decades after killing Jim. Though Winona Ryder donned a costume and makeup to make her appear elderly at the end of Edward Scissorhands, Depp’s character hadn’t changed at all in appearance, despite the lengthy age of time. Therefore, if Edward Scissorhands 2 happened, Burton would be presented with the problem of explaining why Edward suddenly aged 34 years, yet returned to his youthful appearance decades later. Ultimately, it doesn’t work without constant de-aging, regardless of when a sequel would pick up in Edward Scissorhands' timeline.
Edward Scissorhands 2 Would Repeat Beetlejuice 2's Alec Baldwin & Geena Davis Return Problem
Baldwin & Davis' Beetlejuice Characters Are Ghosts Who Don't Age
Tim Burton has a knack for crafting characters who aren’t meant to physically age, which poses a challenge for potential sequels. That same issue became a problem for the returning characters in Beetlejuice 2. Though the original 1988 movie was centered around the recently deceased couple Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Maitland (Geena Davis), their characters were entirely absent from Beetlejuice 2. Burton noted that the Maitlands missing from the sequel made sense because their stories had already been told in the original film, but there were also clearly some logistical obstacles.
In order to explain Adam and Barbara's absences in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) reveals that they found a loophole and their spirits "moved on" from the Winter River house.
Adam and Barbara couldn’t have returned in Beetlejuice 2 without being de-aged, as Baldwin and Davis had aged 36 years since playing their ghostly characters in 1988. It would be quite jarring to see two ghosts who died around age 30, and aren’t supposed to age, suddenly have the physical appearance of people in their 60s. That same issue would be present if Tim Burton and Johnny Depp ever elected to make Edward Scissorhands 2, as it wouldn’t make sense for him to return unless Edward still had the appearance of a 26-year-old Depp.
Edward Scissorhands' 1990 Ending Already Made A Sequel Pointless
Edward Scissorhands Already Revealed What Happens After The Movie's Climax
Regardless of the challenges posed by ageless characters and actors growing older in the real world, a potential Edward Scissorhands sequel would have little story potential after the 1990 movie’s time jump. Edward Scissorhands’ ending sees an elderly Kim tell her granddaughter the story of Edward, with the film jumping to show that he had stayed at the house for several decades making sculptures and “snow.”
Tim Burton-Directed Sequels |
Rotten Tomatoes Score |
Worldwide Box Office |
Time Between Original & Sequel Movie Releases |
|---|---|---|---|
Batman Returns (1992) |
82% |
$266.9 million |
3 years |
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) |
76% |
$451.1 million |
36 years |
There’s not much that can be added to that unless a sequel simply follows Edward’s lonely years watching Kim and the Boggs family from atop the hill. Everything that happens in between is already implied; the neighborhood moves on, Kim starts a family but stays in town, and Edward’s house remains untouched by anyone other than himself. Unless an Edward Scissorhands sequel begins after Kim tells her granddaughter the story, it doesn’t feel like it would have a compelling enough story to justify being made, unlike Beetlejuice 2's Deetz family-centric narrative.
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Edward Scissorhands
8/10- Release Date
- December 14, 1990
- Runtime
- 105 minutes
- Director
- Tim Burton
Cast
Dianne Wiest
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingRENTBUYFrom director Tim Burton, Edward Scissorhands follows the titular character, an artificial human created by an inventor, who has scissor blades instead of fingers. After his creator's death, Edward is taken in by a normal suburban family and becomes attracted to the family's teenage daughter, Kim Boggs. Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder star as Edward and Kim.
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Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
7/10- Release Date
- September 6, 2024
- Runtime
- 104 Minutes
- Director
- Tim Burton
Cast
Beetlejuice
Lydia Deetz
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingRENTBUYBeetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now ed by Jenna Ortega in a new role.
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