Tim Burton's eagerly anticipated sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has made a smashing debut at the domestic box office, as if no time had passed since the original film hit theaters 36 years ago.
 |
| Michael Keaton in Tim Burton's 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.' Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection |
From Warner Bros., this fall's first major event film opened to an impressive $110 million, landing on the high end of expectations. Whether it can successfully breathe new life into the franchise will depend on its sustained performance.
However, the international market presents a different challenge, as the original film didn’t see a theatrical release overseas and therefore lacks the same nostalgic pull. Despite this, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice managed a $35 million foreign debut from 69 markets. Though this is a notable drop compared to its domestic launch, the hope is that it will gain traction after topping the box office in several territories.
Major markets like France, Germany, and Japan have yet to open, while early signs are promising in Europe and Latin America. The U.K. led the international box office with $9.6 million, followed by Mexico with $6.5 million, and Australia with $2.6 million. (Warner Bros. was aware it wouldn't make a big impact in most of Asia.)
In North America, there was plenty to celebrate. The campy horror-comedy achieved the second-largest September opening ever, trailing only Warner Bros.' 2017 adaptation of Stephen King's It, which grossed $123 million (not adjusted for inflation). Additionally, it marked a career-high opening for stars Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux, and Jenna Ortega.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice brings back Michael Keaton as the mischievous title character, alongside Ryder and O'Hara. Newcomers to the franchise include Ortega, Theroux, Bellucci, Arthur Conti, and Willem Dafoe. This time, Lydia Deetz (Ryder) and her family return home after a tragedy, only to discover that her daughter Astrid (Ortega) has accidentally opened a portal to the afterlife. (The teaser trailer fittingly shows Keaton declaring to a stunned Ryder, "The Juice is loose.")
The movie's appeal spans across all age groups and families, proving the lasting influence of the original cult classic. It's skewing slightly female, with audiences comprising between 54% and 58% women, and it's performing well across the country. Over a third of its earnings are coming from Imax and other large-format screens.
Additionally, the Hispanic audience, which represents the most frequent moviegoers, has provided a significant boost, aided by Ortega's popularity thanks to her starring role in Netflix's Wednesday (Burton serves as an executive producer and director for several episodes of Wednesday).
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice earned a B+ CinemaScore, which aligns with its Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 76%, a slight improvement over the B CinemaScore given to the 1988 original. (It’s worth noting that horror films, or those with horror elements, often receive lower CinemaScore grades.)
"Tapping into the mischievous energy of one of his enduring classics, the director appears reinvigorated," writes Reporter's chief film critic David Rooney. "He offers a similar revival for two actors who were central not only to the original Beetlejuice but also to Burton's Batman films and Edward Scissorhands: Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder."
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice surpassed the previous second-largest September debut, It Chapter Two (2019), which opened with $91.1 million, followed by Marvel Studios' Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which grossed $75.4 million during the pandemic in 2021. Beyond that, the next largest September opening was in the mid-$50 million range.
The sequel reportedly cost $100 million to produce, excluding a significant marketing campaign that included its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.
Burton directed the sequel, working from a script by Wednesday showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, with Seth Grahame-Smith receiving credit for his contribution to the film's story.
The first Beetlejuice earned $74 million at the domestic box office, which was a substantial figure at the time, equating to more than $195 million when adjusted for inflation.
No other major studio film dared to release alongside Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which is playing in 4,575 locations. The only other new wide release was indie distributor A24's psychological horror film The Front Room, which struggled to find its audience, opening in tenth place with $1.7 million. The film's fortunes improved slightly on Saturday, when stronger-than-expected attendance boosted its weekend total from a projected $1.4 million to $1.7 million.
At the top of the box office, Deadpool & Wolverine took the No. 2 spot in its seventh weekend, earning $7.2 million domestically, bringing its global total to $1.257 billion. The indie biopic Reagan secured third place with $5.2 million, achieving a 10-day domestic total of $18.5 million.
Meanwhile, Alien: Romulus grossed $4 million, bringing its impressive global tally to $314.4 million, making it the franchise's second-highest earner, behind Prometheus.
It Ends With Us rounded out the top five with an additional $3.8 million, surpassing the $300 million mark globally.
In other industry news, Disney became the first Hollywood studio of 2024 to reach $4 billion in global ticket sales, thanks to billion-dollar hits Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine. Alien: Romulus and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes have also been key contributors to Disney's success this year.
