Beetle Juice Beetle Juice is set to cast one of the biggest spells of all time at the September box office.
The highly anticipated sequel from director Tim Burton and Warner Bros. is expected to gross between $100 million and $110 million in its domestic debut, based on tracking data and advance ticket sales. Warner Bros. is staying conservative, holding the $80 million-plus mark.
If tracking is correct, the fantasy-horror comedy will boast the second-best September opening of all time, behind New Line and Warner’s 2017 blockbuster. Itlaunched at $123 million in early September 2017, before adjusting for inflation.
The second largest September opening belongs to 2019 Chapter Two ($91.1 million), followed by Marvel Studios Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ($75.4 million), released during the pandemic in 2021. After that, the next biggest September opening is in the mid-$50 million range.
Burton's Long-In-The-Works Sequel Comes Out 36 Years Later Beetle Juice has graced the big screen and is counting on that film's enduring status as a cult classic to appeal to audiences of all age groups. The original Beetle Juice grossed $74 million at the box office, or more than $195 million when adjusted for inflation.
The $100 Movie sees the return of Michael Keaton as the ghoulish prankster, alongside Winona Ryder and Catherine O'Hara. Newcomers to the franchise include Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica 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 opened a portal to the afterlife. (The teaser trailer fittingly features Keaton declaring to a stunned Ryder, “Things are volatile.”)
“Drawing on the manic, playful spirit of one of his enduring successes from the golden age, the director seems reinvigorated. A comparable tonic is needed for two actors who played major roles not only in the original Beetle Juice but also of Burton Batman movies and Edward Scissorhands: Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, respectively,” writes DAY chief film critic David Rooney in his review of the sequel, which had its world premiere at the glitzy Venice Film Festival.
The film's current Rotten Tomatoes critic score is a healthy 79 percent.
Burton directed the sequel from a screenplay by Wednesday showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, while Seth Grahame-Smith is credited for his work on the film's story.