Featured Image Credit: Julien Hekimian/Getty Images/Warner Bros.
Topics: Racism, Diversity, Film, TV and Film
Jess Battison
Topics: Racism, Diversity, Film, TV and Film
Tim Burton previously responded to claims his movies are full of white people as Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has brought up fresh ‘racism’ claims.
The famed director and producer, of course, has a long list of iconic films to his name - from Edward Scissorhands and Corpse Bride to Alice in Wonderland and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, to name a few.
But while his work may be pretty popular, Burton has long faced criticism for the apparent lack of representation in his casting choices.
And now a scene from the Beetlejuice sequel has added to the claims of alleged racism.
Back when The Nightmare Before Christmas released in 1993, screenwriter Caroline Thompson claimed there’d been a clash over the villain, Oogie Boogie.
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This character was voiced by Black star Ken Page and during the Script Apart podcast, Thompson said: “Oogie Boogie is a derogatory term for African Americans in the American South.
"I begged the powers that be to change something about that character, because of that.
“I said: this is so ugly and dangerous and antithetical to everything inside me. I did not win that fight… It was a troubling part of the film for me, to be frank.”
So, fast-forward to 2024 and the release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice when teen Astrid Deetz (Jenna Ortega) boards the ‘Soul Train’.
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This is a bit of a reference to the 70’s musical variety TV show, Soul Train, which celebrated R&B, soul and hip-hop.
And some users have taken to X to claim the scene ‘was so unnecessarily racist and confusing’.
While others simply called it ‘racist as hell’ as one put: “I'm glad people are calling out Beetlejuice Beetlejuice for its racist depiction of black people. The only time black people are in the movie is for a soul train joke," further adding that they still thought the 'movie was good'.
A TikTok user also slammed it as ‘in your face and obvious’ and that it ‘felt suspicious’ under the surface.
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Back in 2016, Burton responded to criticism about his casting choices amid backlash to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.
He said: “Nowadays, people are talking about it more. I remember back when I was a child watching The Brady Bunch and they started to get all politically correct. Like, okay, let’s have an Asian child and a Black.
“I used to get more offended by that than just… I grew up watching blaxploitation movies, right?
"And I said that’s great. I didn’t go like, okay, there should be more white people in these movies.”
LADbible has contacted Burton’s reps for comment.