Box office preview: ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ on way to being rare September blockbuster
Now that we’re into September – hopefully, you’ve read our preview from last week – many are hoping the box office can sustain its summer business. This week’s offering, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” surely will help. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.
Back in 1988, director Tim Burton teamed with Michael Keaton for the comedy “Beetlejuice,” which was Burton’s second feature film as a director. The movie became a relatively big hit, made on a fairly small budget, putting Burton and Keaton into a place where they could tackle “Batman” the following year.
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The original “Beetlejuice” starred Alec Baldwin in a year in which he became a bigger star, along with Geena Davis, who was also starting a burgeoning career. Catherine O’Hara had already been doing the Canadian sketch comedy show “SCTV” for many years and taking on smaller film roles before being cast in that film, but more importantly, it was only Winona Ryder‘s third movie, one that elevated her to a new level of stardom before she reunited with Burton for “Edward Scissorhands” two years later.
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As much as this sequel is about Keaton’s return to the character of the prank-prone ghost Betelgeuse, it’s possibly more about Jenna Ortega being brought into the fold after starring in Burton’s popular Netflix series “Wednesday.” Ortega’s popularity probably came from starring in the most recent “Scream” “requels” but also being a young star who knows how to use social media and apps like TikTok to maintain her brand. In many ways, this sequel will be as much of an indicator about her box office drawing power than it is about whether Burton still can direct a satisfying big blockbuster, since it’s been a while. In the movie, Ortega plays Ryder’s daughter, Astrid, who accidentally unleashes Betelgeuse, when the Deetz family moves back into the Wind River house.
Neither Baldwin nor Davis have returned for this franchise sequel, but O’Hara has become a much bigger commodity in recent years thanks to her Emmy-winning turn on “Schitt’s Creek,” while Ryder herself has been more in the public eye thanks to Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” Another key addition to the movie is Oscar-nominee Willem Dafoe, who has been busier than ever in the last few years, often appearing in three or four films.
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” kicked off this year’s Venice International Film Festival (aka La Biennale), and reviews have been strong so far, currently 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, at the time of this writing, although that rating can change as film critics across the country get to see the movie.
Opening in over 4,400 theaters (including most premium formats with higher ticket prices), “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has the potential to open over $100 million, but it could also fall just short of that mark with $95 million or slightly more. Either way, that would be a great way to start the month of September, essentially being the second-biggest opening for the month after “It” in 2017.
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Offered as possibly unwise and worrisome counter-programming is the horror film “The Front Room” from Sam and Max Eggers, who are indeed the younger twin brothers of Robert Eggers, director of “The VVitch,” “The Lighthouse” and “The Northman.”
Based on a short story by Susan Bell, their horror film stars Brandy Norwood, the recording artist best known for playing “Cinderella” in 1997 and starring in “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” a year later. In her return to theatrical horror, Brandy plays Belinda, a newly-pregnant wife, who agrees to allowing her husband’s stepmother Solange (played by Kathryn Newton from “Poor Things”) to move in with them. Once there, Solange proves to be an absolute nightmare, in every description of the word.
Opening in roughly 2,000 theaters, this movie is very much relying on the name that A24 has built for itself as a horror distributor, though hits like “Hereditary” in 2018 and “Talk to Me” last year, both which grossed over $44 million. On the other hand, A24 has also released lower-grossing horror movies like 2022’s “Men” and “Pearl” from Alex Garland and Ti West, respectively, two directors whose 2024 offerings have fared better. That said, West’s recent “MaXXXine” only opened with $6.7 million with a stronger cast.
It’s doubtful “The Front Room” can even open that high, not with “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” being such a big draw, so look for it to end up in the $3 to $4 million range, which doesn’t guarantee it a place in the top 5 despite so many of the returning movies losing theaters.
A24 is actually releasing another movie that’s more on-brand and simpatico with “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” since Lana Wilson‘s documentary “Look Into My Eyes” takes a look at mediums and psychics who help people communicate with their dead loved ones.
Also, Azazel Jacobs‘ new drama “His Three Daughters,” starring Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen, will get a limited release this Friday ahead of its streaming on Netflix starting September 20. The three actors play half-sisters who have convened to care for their dying father, who is in hospice care.
Lastly, Utopia will release French-Canadian filmmaker Pascal Plante‘s thriller “Red Rooms,” about two young women who become obsessed with a serial killer on trial, which will also get a limited release this Friday.
Check back on Sunday for Gold Derby’s weekly box office report on how things did in movie theaters.
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