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‘Beetlejuice’ Musical Is Heading to Washington, Then Broadway

Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton in Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice.” A new musical is to have its first production at the National Theater in Washington in October.Credit...Warner Bros. Pictures/Photofest

Thirty years after Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” arrived in cinemas, a musical adaptation is taking the stage.

The theatrical division of Warner Bros. announced Wednesday that the new musical, which has been in development for eight years, would have its first production at the National Theater in Washington in October, with the goal of then transferring to Broadway.

The musical, a comedy about a ghost seeking to scare a family out of a house, is being directed by Alex Timbers (“Peter and the Starcatcher,” “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”). The songs are by Eddie Perfect, an Australian musician who is also writing the songs for a musical adaptation of “King Kong” that is scheduled to open on Broadway this fall; the book is by Scott Brown, a former theater critic for New York magazine, and Anthony King, the former artistic director of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.

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Alex Timbers, who is directing “Beetlejuice,” which has songs by Eddie Perfect.Credit...Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

Mr. Timbers, who is also currently overseeing a musical adaptation of “Moulin Rouge,” said that with “Beetlejuice,” he is seeking to translate Mr. Burton’s distinctive sensibility to the stage, including what he called “a handcrafted aesthetic” and “outrageous, edgy humor.”

“One of the things we’re focusing on is the emotional story of the character of Lydia, who has an interesting inverted arc — she’s a living girl obsessed with death, and Betelgeuse is a dead figure obsessed with life,” Mr. Timbers said. “The film is a family drama, with the two Deetzes and the two Maitlands and Lydia and Betelgeuse all in one house, and we’re also seizing on the house as a character, because it’s inherently emotional and theatrical and fun.”

The musical has had three readings and two laboratory workshops; Alex Brightman has played the title role in workshops, but the producers have not announced casting for the production.

The musical is a production of Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures (Mark Kaufman) and Langley Park Productions (Kevin McCormick). Warner Bros. has faced some disappointments on Broadway (its most recent show, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” was not a success), but is enthusiastically pursuing stage productions — a musical adaptation of the 1993 film “Dave” is scheduled to have its first production at Arena Stage in Washington this summer (directed by Tina Landau, with music by Tom Kitt, lyrics by Nell Benjamin, and a book by Ms. Benjamin and Thomas Meehan). The company is also seeking to develop stage adaptations of “A Star is Born” (with the director Bill Condon), “Dog Day Afternoon” (with the playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis) and “17 Again.”

Follow Michael Paulson on Twitter: @MichaelPaulson.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section C, Page 3 of the New York edition with the headline: ‘Beetlejuice’ Musical Aims for Broadway. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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