Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Scores Third-Best Opening of the Year With $111 Million

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As a long-time fan of Tim Burton’s whimsical and macabre creations, the news about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice shattering box office records this weekend has left me absolutely spellbound! I remember the original movie from 1988 as a delightful mix of horror, comedy, and fantasy that has since become a modern classic. The fact that it took 36 years to bring us a sequel is almost as mind-boggling as Beetlejuice himself!

In a remarkable turn of events this weekend, the sequel to “Beetlejuice” surpassed $100 million at the domestic box office, marking the third-highest opening of 2024 and one of the largest September openings in history. Impressively, it managed to rake in $111 million, a significant accomplishment given that it had to earn over $27 million on the first Sunday of the NFL season. To date, only “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine” have outperformed it this year. Furthermore, the “Beetlejuice” sequel now holds the title for the biggest PG-13 opening in September, surpassing all films except for Warner Bros.’ “It,” which earned $123 million back in 2017.

In a career spanning by filmmaker Tim Burton, only his movie “Alice in Wonderland” outperformed the opening of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” with earnings of $116 million. As per Deadline’s box office analysis, approximately three-quarters of this weekend’s theatergoers visited to watch “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

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The film, garnering outstanding acclaim from viewers through ComScore exit polls, is a long-awaited sequel spanning 36 years, introducing a fresh lineup of the Deetz family for an exciting new journey into the afterlife. Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, and Winona Ryder reprise their roles from the original Beetlejuice, with Tim Burton returning as director as well. While the initial movie only made $75 million at the box office, it later became recognized as a timeless comedy masterpiece in contemporary cinema.

In 2013, the movie “Beetlejuice” generated approximately $15 million in revenue from DVD sales within just three weeks after its release, as reported by The Numbers. However, it’s interesting to note that the production cost of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” was estimated to be around $100 million, indicating a strong belief in the sequel’s success by Warner Bros.

Disney faced a similar predicament last year when they invested between $295 million and $387 million in producing an Indiana Jones movie, which only grossed $384 million at the box office. Taking marketing costs into account, the film needed to earn around $600 million just to break even – a figure none of the previous four Indiana Jones movies had even approached.

For the movie “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”, an estimated figure of around $250 million might be more realistic, considering some experts believe it could earn up to $125 million in North America this weekend. Although comedies typically don’t perform exceptionally well internationally, given the strength of the “Beetlejuice” franchise, it wouldn’t be unexpected to see a robust global reaction to it as well.

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Here’s the official synopsis for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice:

Once more, Beetlejuice makes an appearance! Following a surprising family tragedy, the Deetz family from Winter River reunites. Even though they thought they had shaken off Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life takes a wild turn when her headstrong teenage daughter, Astrid, stumbles upon an enigmatic model of the town in the attic and inadvertently opens a gateway to the Afterlife. As chaos ensues in two worlds, it won’t be long before someone utters Beetlejuice’s name three times, summoning the mischievous spirit to wreak his unique havoc.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is in theaters now.

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2024-09-09 19:10