Winona Ryder Shares the One Requirement She Had Before Taking on the Role of Joyce Byers in Stranger Things: ‘It Needed to Be…’
Winona Ryder skillfully portrayed the character of Joyce Byers in the highly praised sci-fi horror series Stranger Things. However, prior to joining the cast of this popular Netflix series, she had a specific request. The actress recently reminisced that during her initial meeting with the creators of the show for the role, she made it clear that if a Beetlejuice sequel was ever in the works, they would have to allow her to be a part of it. Keep reading for more details!
Winona Ryder remembers her ‘one condition’ for joining Stranger Things
Winona Ryder rose to fame with her role as Lydia Deetz in the 1988 comedy horror Beetlejuice. Now, years later, the highly anticipated sequel has finally been given the green light and is set to hit theaters in September.
In a recent video interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the actress reflected on some of her favorite characters she has portrayed over the years and revealed that she had already been discussing the sequel with Burton even before her involvement in Stranger Things.
Ryder shared that when she met the creators of the series, The Duffer Brothers (Matt and Ross), regarding the opportunity to play Joyce Byers, she presented one requirement before accepting the role.
ALSO READ: ‘Never Revisited A Character’: Winona Ryder Opens Up On Reprising Her Role Lydia Deetz In Beetlejuice Sequel
She started by discussing her character, stating, “I am literally on my 10th year playing her (Joyce Byers).” Ryder then mentioned that agreeing to do just one episode was a “huge deal” as she was only given the pilot episode and was unfamiliar with streaming at the time, finding it daunting in that aspect.
Winona Ryder continued to reveal that she and Tim Burton had been talking about a Beetlejuice sequel for years. She explained that while they thought it might happen at certain points, it needed to be perfect for all involved. “There have been moments over the last 15 years where we thought it was going to happen, but that’s the thing,” added the Edward Scissorhands actress.
She further mentioned that when she first met the Duffer Brothers, the creators of Stranger Things, she made it clear that her condition was if Beetlejuice 2 ever came to fruition, they would have to allow her to take a break from the series to work on it, stating, “They agreed. Luckily, it worked out.”
ALSO READ: Beetlejuice 2: Why is Winona Ryder’s Character Cut Off From the Sequel? Here’s What We Know
What was Winona Ryder’s Beetlejuice film about?
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice film follows the story of a deceased couple, Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara Maitland (Geena Davis), who become ghosts after a fatal car accident. When a new family, Charles (Jeffrey Jones), Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara), and their daughter Lydia (Ryder), move into their house, the Maitlands attempt to scare them off but are unsuccessful. The couple then enlist the help of a bio-exorcist ghost named Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to remove the new family. However, Beetlejuice’s unpredictable and hazardous actions create more problems than they solve.
Meanwhile, the fifth season of The Duffer Brothers’ Stranger Things is currently in production. Reports suggest that several original cast members, including Millie Bobby Brown, Caleb McLaughlin, Priah Ferguson, and Winona Ryder, are expected to return for the upcoming season.