Koichi Yamadera, Maaya Sakamoto Went Full Costume for Their Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Dub

When we think of voice acting, the last thing that comes to mind is how the actors dress for a recording session. While they likely choose clothes that’s comfortable and will not be picked up on the microphone, the one thing they don’t have to wear is the outfit of their character. But this wasn’t the case for the Japanese dub‘s voice cast members for Tim Burton’s new film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, as they went all out during the recording sessions, donning the costumes and makeup of their respective characters.

The Warner Brothers Japan X (formerly Twitter) account revealed on August 26 that the cast’s makeover during the dubbing sessions is an industry “first.” The promotional photo included in the post shows eight cast members and stated their identities would be revealed on August 28.

True to their word, Warner Brothers Japan revealed the Japanese voice cast for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice on August 28.

The Japanese voice cast had some interesting comments regarding being in costume and makeup for the dubbing process.

Kōichi Yamadera (Beetlejuice)

When I heard that it was a full-body dubbing, I thought, “What does that mean? It must be hard,” and it really was! It took dozens more time, manpower, and effort than normal dubbing. It was the first time I had a schedule with four hours of preparation time, and the plaster cast beforehand took even longer. Originally, I became a voice actor because I wanted to become someone other than myself, so this was a good memory, and I’m glad they paid attention to even the smallest details.
Michael Keaton, who plays Beetlejuice, put a lot of effort into his voice, so I worked hard and pushed my voice to the limit. Dubbing foreign films has a different kind of thrill from anime voice acting, so please pay attention to it. I’ve done this much, so please make it go viral!

Maya Sakamoto (Lydia Deetz)

Halloween has become a more familiar event than ever before, so I thought, “Maybe I’ll enjoy dressing up like this now,” and I did a full-body dubbing. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I hope I expressed Lydia, who may look scary at first glance, but also has a gentle side.
I first saw Beetlejuice when I was in elementary school, and it’s a movie I love so much that I’ve rented it on video many times. Winona Ryder is one of my favorite actors, so I never thought I’d be involved with her after all these years, and I was really surprised and happy.

Miyuki Sawashiro (Delores)

At first, I thought the full-body dubbing would be like cosplay, but when I heard they wanted to recreate the character with the same quality as Hollywood, I was happy to participate. During the four hours of makeup, my senses were busy with sticky and soft touches, as well as the feeling of something gooey being stretched and the smell of the art room. I was looking forward to seeing the finished product. It was the first time I wanted people to look at me so closely. As the scars increased one by one with the makeup, I felt like I was getting closer and closer to Dolores.

Mariya Ise (Astrid Deetz)

At first, I had no idea what full-body dubbing even meant.
The key point is that I transformed into Astrid with the same costume, hair, and makeup, and even added freckles with makeup. It was a first for me as a voice actor to tackle a character from their appearance, so it was a lot of fun.
It’s a horror comedy film that’s perfect for Halloween, and is packed with Tim Burton’s worldview, so I was excited to do the dubbing.

Chiaki Kobayashi (Jeremy)

The voice actors for the entire film were all very impressive, so it was a dream come true and I felt very honored to be able to participate. It’s not often you become a character to this extent, so it was a wonderful experience for me to be able to play the role as if I were possessed. It’s something I had never done before.
I think Jeremy is a key character in this film, and I was excited as I played him, wondering “What’s going to happen!?” The film is filled with a lively and fun charm and dark atmosphere only Tim Burton can create.

Toshiyuki Morikawa (Rory)

I think this is a full-body dubbing project with a crazy idea on par with Tim Burton. I had fun filming it, and it was also interesting in the sense that I got rid of my trademark bangs and glasses. I think this is a project that could only be carried out by a Tim Burton film, and I’m honored to have been able to participate in the one-of-a-kind world only he can express. It’s a very lively and fun movie, and the voice actors for the full-body dubbing version are also stunning, so I hope you will enjoy both the subtitled and dubbed versions.

Kazuhiro Yamaji (Wolf Jackson)

It was an incredible set. For the full-body dubbing special makeup, we made a mold in advance and spent four hours getting ready on the day, so it felt like the shortest dubbing session to me. Of course, this is a first for me, but I was surprised and excited to the point I thought, “this far!?”
This is a story that is full of Tim Burton’s world from beginning to end. I had a lot of fun dubbing Wolf, played by Willem Dafoe. Please look forward to Wolf’s final scene.

Keiko Toda (Delia)

When I heard I would be doing a full-body dub, I took that to mean they wanted to put in that much effort, and so I took on the dubbing and filming. It’s common for people to wear wigs on stage, so I was able to act without any discomfort. I think in anime, they sometimes use costumes and hair and makeup specific to the character, but this is the first time I’ve gone this far in a Western film.
The worldview of Tim Burton is on full display, making this a really fun film. The character I played, Delia, changes emotions all the time; just when you think she’s screaming, she suddenly changes her mind, so it was very challenging and fun to play the role.

While we won’t see the voice actors on screen, hopefully the costume and makeup provided even more inspiration to them. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice opens on September 6 in the United States and on September 27 in Japan.

Sources: Warner Brothers Japan’s X/Twitter account (link 2), Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Japan’s website, Anime Anime

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