Winona Ryder confirms 'Beetlejuice' sequel

"Beetlejuice 2" is in the works, according to Winona Ryder, who broke the news Monday on NBC's "Late Night with Seth Myers."

"I think I can confirm it," Ryder told Myers, though she seemed to believe that director Tim Burton had already announced the sequel in a previous interview. "It was very hush-hush, top secret," Ryder said. "And then he was doing some press for 'Big Eyes'" -- Burton's movie from late last year -- "and he did an on-camera interview, and he said, "Oh yeah, we're doing it, and Winona's going to be in it."

She added, "But I don't really know much more than anybody."

Ryder, 43, was only 16 when Burton's horror-comedy "Beetlejuice" was released in 1988. She played Lydia Deetz, the Goth-rock daughter of a married couple whose new house is haunted by a maniacal ghost (Michael Keaton). A surprise hit, the film helped establish Burton as a distinctive, dark-humored director and Ryder as an alt-culture poster-girl. She later starred in off-beat movies like the black comedy "Heathers" and Burton's "Edward Scissorhands."

Ryder's appearance with Seth Myers is the most definitive confirmation yet of a "Beetlejuice" sequel. The interview with Burton that Ryder referred to may have taken place on MTV late last year. Burton at the time seemed to be speaking hypothetically about a sequel, though when asked whether Ryder would be in the cast, he responded enthusiastically, "Yeah yeah, oh yeah."