Tim Burton's long-awaited sequel Beetle Juice Beetle Juice has had a stellar start at the domestic box office, as if no time had passed since the first film graced the big screen 36 years ago.
From Warner Bros., the first event film of the fall season opened with a monstrous $110 million, coming in at the high end of expectations. Whether it can successfully revive franchises will depend on its staying power, as well as its overseas numbers. (Domestic numbers were not immediately available.)
The kitschy horror-comedy film earned the second-highest grossing film ever in September, behind Warner Bros.’ 2017 R-rated Stephen King adaptation. It ($123 million), not adjusted for inflation.
Beetle Juice Beetle Juice sees the return of Michael Keaton as the ghoulish prankster of the title, 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, “The Juice is loose.”)
The film is winning over all age groups and families, a testament to the cult classic status of the first film. It is skewed toward female viewers, with a share of 54 to 58 percent, and is enjoying success in all parts of the country. More than a third of the gross comes from Imax and other large-format screens. Another driver: Hispanic consumers, who are the most frequent viewers.
The sequel received a B+ CinemaScore, on par with a new Rotten Tomatoes critics score of 76 percent and one step up from the B CinemaScore given to the original. Beetle Juice(It is not uncommon for horror films or titles with horror elements to earn low CinemaScore scores.)
“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 The Hollywood Reporter chief film critic David Rooney in his review.
Beetle Juice Beetle Juice eclipsed the previous second-biggest September opening of all time, that of 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.
The sequel is said to have cost $100 million to produce, before a huge marketing spend that included hosting the film's world premiere at the glitzy Venice Film Festival.
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.
The first one Beetle Juice grossed $74 million at the domestic box office, a huge sum for the time, or more than $195 million when adjusted for inflation.
No other major studio film has dared to open simultaneously Beetle Juice 2which is playing in 4,575 locations. The only other new wide release is the psychological horror film from indie distributor A24 The front room failing to find its groove, opening in 10th place with $1.7 million. If there was any consolation, it was that traffic was better than expected on Saturday, when it looked like the film might open with only $1.4 million.
Returning to the top of the charts, Deadpool and Wolverine opened at No. 2 in its seventh weekend with $7.2 million domestically for a global total of $1.257 million. The independent biopic about Ronald Reagan Reagan followed in third place with a solid $5.2 million for a 10-day domestic total of $18.5 million and Alien: Romulus with $4 million for a global total of $314.4 million, the best result for the franchise behind Prometheus. It ends with us completed the top five, surpassing $300 million worldwide.
More to come.
September 8, 7:15 am Updated with revised estimates.
This story was originally published on September 7 at 9:14 a.m.