Where is Charles Deetz in Beetlejuice 2? Jeffrey Jones controversy explained

Jeffrey Jones played Charles Deetz in the original Beetlejuice, but the actor is nowhere to be seen in Beetlejuice 2, which makes some strange decisions when it comes to his character.

Jeffrey Jones was a mainstay of cinema in the 1980s, delivering memorable performances in the likes of Amadeus, Howard the Duck, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

He also formed a fruitful partnership with director Tim Burton, appearing in both Ed Wood and Sleepy Hollow.

That collaboration kicked off when Jones played Charles Deetz in the original Beetlejuice. But while the character returns in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Jones does not play the part.

Why Jeffrey Jones is absent from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Jeffrey Jones doesn’t appear in Beetlejuice 2 due to the fact that he’s a registered sex offender.

Warner Bros.

In 2002, the actor was arrested for possession of child pornography, and soliciting a minor to pose for explicit photos. Jones pleaded not guilty to the former charge, which was ultimately dropped, and no contest to the latter.

Jeffrey Jones was then required to register as a sex offender, and was subsequently arrested multiple times for failing to update that status.

Since that conviction, the actor has appeared in just a handful of shows and movies, but Jones hasn’t been seen onscreen since the Deadwood TV movie in 2019, and doesn’t feature in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

How Charles Deetz fits into Beetlejuice 2

The character Jeffrey Jones plays in Beetlejuice does appear in the sequel, however, popping up multiple times during the movie. We’re going to describe those appearances below, so MILD SPOILERS ahead…

Early in the film we learn that Charles passed away when his plane went down during a bird-watching expedition in the South Pacific, where he was apparently planning to watch them “do it on the beach.”

It could then have left it at that. But there’s much more Charles in the movie, as via an animated sequence, we see that Deetz survived the crash, clung onto a wing, then had his head bitten off by a shark.

The character returns in the afterlife, as a bloody walking torso without a head, played by someone currently unlisted in the IMDb credits.

While he’s also seen in our world, via a photo of Jeffrey Jones on the character’s gravestone, which takes center stage during his funeral.

The film even ends on a happy note for Charles (one that we won’t detail here as it’s a proper spoiler). But it’s fair to say that while Jeffrey Jones doesn’t appear onscreen during Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, he’s all over the movie in spirit.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is out now, meaning our Beetlejuice 2 ending explainer is also live. Head here for more movies to watch this month. Alternatively, click here to see our FrightFest picks, or here to check out our list of the best movies of 2024 so far.