Party in the afterlife with Beetlejuice in a new immersive experience in Hollywood
Go ahead and say his name three times if you dare.
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.
Then, if you still have the guts, knock on the brick wall of a dusty attic three times and enter the afterlife as you step into the ghostly world of the whacky bio-exorcist in a new immersive pop-up experience dubbed “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: The Afterlife Experience.”
Located in an 11,000-square foot space at the Ovation Hollywood, The Afterlife Experience opened Aug. 23 and was created in conjunction with “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the sequel to the original 1988 Tim Burton film that featured Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, a ghost and bio-exorcist who is hired by a recently deceased couple to get rid of the people living in their home. The sequel, directed by Burton, opens Sept. 6 with Keaton stepping back into the role of the whacky ghost and Winona Ryder reviving her role as Lydia Deetz.
“We want people to feel like they’re in the gruesome world of Beetlejuice and to get really really excited for the movie. It’s a way to experience some of your favorite moments from Beetlejuice,” said Sofia Altuna, reginal team lead for Fever, a live entertainment company that teamed up with Warner Bros. Discovery for this attraction.
Fans of the film can step into the afterlife in real life in an experience that features meticulously recreated sets, ghostly creatures walking around, and yes, of course people will get to meet Beetlejuice too.
“There are details in every area and we had a lot of fun recreating it all,” Altuna said.
The experience begins in the old attic featured in the original film, which is the portal to the afterlife. There visitors will see the “Handbook for the Recently Deceased” sitting on a table next to an old TV. Then people need to find the right spot on a brick wall and knock three times. If they knock on the right spot the wall will open and reveal the whimsical path to the afterlife as visitors walk through a checkered-floored hallway where oddly shaped doors lead to the infamous waiting room from the original film.
Go ahead, take a number and have a seat between two ghosts as you wait for your afterlife case worker to call you to the information window. From there movie fans will move into the immigration room where they will get a passport to the afterlife stamped. After that the real dead man’s party starts as visitors enter a cavernous hall where Beetlejuice and his friends are waiting.
Is this heaven? It might be because there’s an actual bar there serving ghoulish drinks like the Spicy Sandworm Rita and the Shake Senora Spritz. And yes, the recently deceased still need to eat so there’s the Afterlife Diner too, which is a 1950s-inspired diner that serves 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 fit in with the recently departed creatures.
But there’s also danger lurking so be on the lookout for the notorious sandworm who is slithering around a sand-filled room. And get ready to get into an actual soul train as you enter the Afterlife Train, a recreation of a train car that’s decked out with a disco ball and party lights as dance music blares.
“It’ll take you to your final destination, whether that’s the pearly gates or the fires of damnation. But you will have a really good time in that train,” said Kathleen Wallis, vice president of global themed entertainment for Warner Bros. Discovery.
There’s no time limit to exit once people enter the attraction, so movie fans can party with Beetlejuice for all eternity, or at least until closing time.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: The Afterlife Experience
When: 4- 9 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday through October
Where: Ovation Hollywood Suite 201, 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood
Tickets: General admission starts at $25
Information: beetlejuiceexperience.com/los-angeles