Iconic statue mysteriously stolen from 'Beetlejuice 2' set in Vermont during shooting

Los Angeles,  (IANS) The Tim Burton directorial 'Beetlejuice 2' which will release after nearly 40 years since the first one, witnessed an unusual turn of events during its filming. The film's set was burglarised in Vermont, with an iconic statue being stolen.

'Beetlejuice' is considered an iconic movie in the realm of horror and horror-comedy due to its many creepy and terrifying scares, gothic setting as well as unusual and morbid humour. 

The statue was supposed to feature in Tim Burton's sequel though somehow the iconic 150 pound statue got stolen from under the production team's notice and Vermont State Police has so far found no culprit.

However, a report from the Vermont State Police has revealed the statue was stolen alongside a lamppost with a "distinctive" pumpkin decoration on top.

Talking to Twitter, the Vermont State Police said: "We tried saying the name of this stolen statue three times, but it didn't come back! We're investigating the theft of this 150-pound sculpture from the 'Beetlejuice 2' set in E. Corinth, along with a lamppost topped with a pumpkin decoration."

Those familiar with the 1988 horror-comedy classic might recognise the stolen sculpture as it was one of the creations of the overly dramatic and emotionally oversensitive character Delia Deetz who was played by Catherine O'Hara.

The statue was reportedly stolen between 5 p.m. on July 13, and 11 a.m. on July 17, while the film was shooting on a location in Vermont.

The thieves, according to the guards in the production team and Vermont State Police, stole the statue for unknown purposes. Whether it was a harmless prank, a heist or some stunt by WGA or SAG-AFTRA protesters is unknown at this time.

Tim Burton's 'Beetlejuice' sequel as of now, is slated to open on September 6, 2024, but could change due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. While the film has not been a topic of the strikes, any association with AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers) can result in an indefinite delay as strikers are halting all projects with AMPTP links.