Shadows on Set: A Heist Story from Beetlejuice 2 Filming Location

Shadows on Set: A Heist Story from Beetlejuice 2 Filming Location

A quaint town in East Corinth, Vermont was disrupted recently when an unexpected robbery shocked the film industry. As the location for the much-anticipated sequel, Beetlejuice 2, it's no stranger to strange happenings, but nothing quite as tangible as this latest incident. The Vermont State Police Department issued an unusual report on Friday, announcing the theft of two distinct props from the movie set.

The investigation is ongoing into the disappearance of a 150-pound sculpture, which has a prominent place in Beetlejuice lore. It's one of Delia Deetz’s creations, as played by Catherine O’Hara in the original Beetlejuice film. Not just a static prop, it trapped Delia twice during the course of the film—once during a tussle with movers and again when Michael Keaton's character Beetlejuice animated it. The police shared a tongue-in-cheek tweet about their efforts, jesting, "We tried saying the name of this stolen statue three times, but it didn’t come back!" In addition to the unique gray statue, a lamppost topped with a pumpkin decoration also disappeared under the cloak of night.

Unfortunately, this theft is not an isolated event. In February 2022, Netflix's productions of Lupin and The Crown experienced similar incidents. The sets in Paris and Northern England respectively were hit, with over $500,000 worth of props and equipment stolen. More than 350 items vanished from the regal drama series, and $330,000 worth of equipment was taken from the set of Lupin, a series starring Omar Sy.

These series of thefts highlight an increasing concern for security on film sets worldwide. While the losses are certainly financial—amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars—they also impact production schedules, set designers, and crew. As we await further news on the investigations, the industry must confront these challenges head-on to safeguard its assets and ensure the smooth continuation of filming operations.