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king big budget live-action movies, and
his drawing style subtly helped in the
creation of the largely hand-painted
Maitland home.
Consulting Mr. Burton’s illustration
books, Mr. Korins was inspired by a flower
the director once drew. He resized
it, drew a new version as the pattern
for the wallpaper, and then made a digital
print. Then, he and his team drew
on the pattern to add more texture.
Who and What’s Hiding Upstairs?
Subtle clues to the Maitlands (played
by Kerry Butler and Rob McClure)
are housed in the attic walls, set pieces
which slide in and out of the wings.
“The Maitlands didn’t really live life
A light fixture in the
Deetz home and later
when Beetlejuice takes
over.
The wallpaper was based on a
Tim Burton illustration.
while they were alive,” Mr. Korins
explained. “They had a lot of hobbies
they abandoned because of their fear.”
He added, “We conceived of the attic
of almost a graveyard for their hopes
and dreams.”
Signs of these side projects — yarn
for knitting, a toolbox, picture frames,
LPs and tennis rackets — are haphazardly
squirreled away.
One item has a personal connection
to Mr. Korins himself: a battered cigar
box. His grandmother gave him one
and he would fill it with his childhood
treasures. He even keeps it in his office.
Mr. Korins requested that the attic
in “Beetlejuice” have one as well. Not
because Adam is a smoker: “I thought
it was cool to have a memento of my
childhood.”
A sculpture from the movie
was remade for the stage.
Photos: Krista Schlueter; Andre Chung; Scenic Art Studios
“There isn’t one piece of furniture
dressing or piece of architecture that doesn’t
have some kind of a handmade, homemade
quality to it,” Mr. Korins said.
Tacky art dots the Deetz living room:
In one case, a blocky black sculpture serves
as an Easter egg for fans of the original
film.
Sharp-eyed viewers may be able to
spot callouts to Mr. Burton’s designs
from work beyond “Beetlejuice.” A light
fixture in the demon’s home is modeled
after the bow tie worn by Jack Skellington
in the director’s animated 1993 movie
“The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
by Sopan Dep
Sopan Deb is a culture reporter, writing about the
intersection of politics and culture, among other
topics. His work has appeared on NBC, Al Jazeera
America and elsewhere.
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