Saturday Night Live’s promotional material has always been part of the show’s comedic ecosystem — short, well-edited sketches that preview the tone of the upcoming episode. But this one stands out because it brings three generations of pop culture into the same moment — and uses 1980s film mythology to do it.
In a teaser released ahead of SNL’s 50th season programming, cast member Chloe Fineman surprised Michael Keaton and Billie Eilish with a Beetlejuice-style “summoning” gag — referencing the supernatural name-three-times device from Tim Burton’s 1988 original and the 2024 sequel.
Fineman channels Lydia Deetz — and sets up the gag
Dressed in an outfit styled to echo the red-accented gothic palette associated with Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz, Fineman sets the stage inside Studio 8H.
She explains — in chaotic, excited, mock-earnest delivery — how Beetlejuice rules work:
say a name three times
and the spirit appears.
Except she doesn’t say “Beetlejuice.”
She says:
“Billie Eilish, Billie Eilish, Billie Eilish.”
Billie Eilish appears — and the bit pays off instantly
Eilish then appears on cue, which sends Fineman into exaggerated panic.
Keaton — the original Beetlejuice himself — simply starts laughing.
That contrast is what makes the segment so effective:
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Fineman is the catalyst and the “energy”
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Eilish is the surprise
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Keaton is the amused anchor — smiling at the mythology he helped create
It is a 15-second model of how SNL has always built its best promos — quick concept, fast payoff, no over-explanation.
Strong timing — tied to renewed Beetlejuice interest
The moment also arrives at a notable time for Keaton.
He is newly associated again with that character thanks to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice — which had the unusual task of bringing decades-old Burton iconography into present-day theatrical culture.
Here — in the safe, absurd playground of SNL promo style — that legacy becomes warm comedy instead of narrative weight.
What this says about SNL’s 50-year continuity
One of the most valuable things SNL has developed over half a century is the ability to fold television, cinema and pop music into single short pieces — without losing its own voice.
This promo does that with an almost friction-free snap:
a 1980s film
a 2020s Grammy winner
and a current-era cast member
Three timelines — one joke.
And that blend — that ease — is precisely why the show remains culturally persistent.