‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Scares Up $110 Million in Second-Biggest September Debut in History
Did someone say Beetlejuice’s name three times? Either way, the mischievous demon triumphantly returned to unleash his mayhem at the box office.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 horror comedy about a pesky poltergeist, scored a huge $110 million from 4,575 theaters in its opening weekend. Those ticket sales rank as the second-biggest September debut of all time, ahead of 2019’s “It: Chapter 2” ($91 million debut) and behind only 2017’s “It” ($123 million debut). All three of those September record holders belong to Warner Bros. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” also the year’s third best bow, coming in behind “Deadpool & Wolverine” ($211.4 million) and “Inside Out 2” ($154.2 million). The film delivered a needed jolt to the domestic box office, which was lagging after a hum-drum end to the summer season.
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“This is a sensational opening for a comedy sequel 36 years after the first film,” says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “In 1988, ‘Beetlejuice’ was an offbeat story that started slowly and over subsequent weeks became a hit. This time, audiences know what to expect and offbeat looks even better next to the usual storylines. It’s a mainstream smash.”
Nostalgia for the first movie, as well as word of mouth for the follow-up film, propelled ticket sales to triple digits. The original “Beetlejuice” became one of the highest-grossing movies of 1988 with $74.7 million and later inspired a Tony-nominated Broadway musical, which is still touring the country. So although more than three decades have passed since the first film, which follows a devious bio-exorcist from the Netherworld who helps a recently deceased couple haunt the new inhabitants of their former home, the “ghost with the most” hasn’t left the cultural zeitgeist.
Unlike recent legacy sequels or reboots like “Twisters” or “Wonka,” which featured entirely new ensembles, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” features many familiar faces from the Netherworld and elsewhere. Burton returned to direct and brought with him Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice, Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz and Catherine O’Hara as step-mom Delia Deetz. “Wednesday” favorite Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe joined the cast. The sequel is set 36 years later as the daughter of Lydia Deetz (whose family was the subject of the terror in the original) discovers the portal to the Afterlife and accidentally releases everyone’s favorite ghost.
Elsewhere, box office charts looked downright grim and far removed from the Land of the Living. Other than “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” not a single film managed to crack double digits in ticket sales.
Disney’s Marvel sequel “Deadpool & Wolverine” slid to second place with $7.2 million from 3,400 venues in its seventh (yes, seventh!) weekend of release. The R-rated smash, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, has generated a mammoth $614 million domestically and $1.287 billion globally. It’s the second biggest movie of the year and 23rd largest of all time.
The Dennis Quaid-led biopic “Reagan” remained at No. 3 with $5.2 million from 2,770 theaters in its sophomore outing. The film, which charts the life of Ronald Reagan, has generated $18.5 million to date.
Holdovers “Alien: Romulus” and “It Ends With Us” rounded out the top five. “Alien: Romulus” added $3.9 million from 2,560 locations over the weekend. After a month of release, the latest chapter in Disney and 20th Century’s sci-fi horror saga has collected $97.2 million domestically and $314 million worldwide.
Meanwhile, “It Ends With Us” brought in $3.7 million from 2,850 theaters in its fifth frame. The adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel has grossed $141.3 million in North America and crossed the $300 million mark worldwide. A sequel should be inevitable, but well-publicized drama between co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni (who also directs) may prevent that from ever becoming a reality.
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