Among the range of art crimes, stealing a highly recognizable sculpture from the set of a highly-anticipated sequel seems unwise. But that’s exactly what happened recently with one of the abstract art pieces from the set of Tim Burton’s in-the-works movie Beetlejuice 2.
Vermont State Police have asked for the public’s help in solving two crimes on the set of the film in East Corinth, the same location as the original.
The first incident was the theft of a large lamppost “topped with a distinctive pumpkin decoration on Village Road” at 12:35 a.m. on July 14. According to the Caledonian Record, the lamppost was removed from its base, bundled into the back of an older model GMC pickup truck, covered with a tarp, and then driven away quickly.
A second crime was reported on the afternoon of July 17. Officials from the film told Vermont State Police someone had stolen “a large abstract art sculpture from the vicinity of the cemetery” that weighed approximately 150 pounds.
“It came in essentially as the perpetrators’ vehicle had parked in the vicinity of the cemetery and had walked to the vicinity of where the sculpture was, but we don’t have any more specifics than that,” Vermont state police spokesperson Adam Silverman told VTDigger.
The state police posted two photos of the sculpture on Twitter and Facebook. It is easily recognizable from the first Beetlejuice film as an object designed by main character Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara). In the 1988 original, the large sculpture crashes into a window during transport and later comes to life, terrorizing Delia and her friends.
According to the AV Club, it’s not clear if the sculpture that was stolen on set was the same prop from that first movie or a recreation that was specially made for the sequel. Production designer Bo Welch, who eventually married O’Hara after meeting the actress during the original film, also did not return for the sequel.
Vermont state police have reached out to movie officials to get an estimated value of the stolen items, and asked for people to report if they appear online on websites for movie memorabilia.
“Certainly we encourage people to keep their eyes out,” Silverman told VTDigger. “By putting it out to the public, we hope to generate some leads.”
While principal photography for Beetlejuice 2 began in May, the SAG-AFTRA strike has shut down filming. In addition to production of the sequel taking place in the UK, exterior scenes were shot in East Corinth, Vermont, due to its prominence in the 1988 original. In addition to returning cast members O’Hara, Wynona Rider, and Michael Keaton, Beetlejuice 2 will include actors Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Willem Dafoe.
Unfortunately, repeating the name of a missing artwork or the name of a film three times can’t help bring back their return.