The juice is on the loose.
Tim Burton’s long-awaited sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice grossed a promising $13 million at the North American box office in previews on Thursday and Wednesday.
The Warner Bros. event film is on track to score one of the biggest September opens ever, with a domestic debut gross of between $90 million and $110 million, based on tracking data and ticket presales. Tracking services predict the film will open above $100 million, but Warners is playing it safe.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice delivered the second highest number of previews in September after the R-rated blockbuster of his colleague Waner Itwhich grossed $13.5 million and grossed $123 million (not adjusted for inflation) upon its premiere in early September 2017. Itbased on a novel by Stephen King, still holds the record for the biggest September premiere. (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice boasts the highest September preview count for a PG-13 title).
The second largest September opening belongs to the year 2019 It Chapter Two ($91.1 million), followed by Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ($75.4 million), which was released in 2021 in the midst of the pandemic. After that, the next biggest September opening is in the mid-$50 million range.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice grossed $3 million from fan screenings in select IMAX and other large format theaters on Wednesday, followed by $10 million from regular previews on Thursday.
Burton’s long-awaited sequel hits theaters 36 years later Beetlejuice to the big screen and hopes that the film will continue to achieve cult status and attract viewers of all ages. The original Beetlejuice grossed $74 million at the box office, which is more than $195 million when adjusted for inflation.
In the $100 film, Michael Keaton returns as the creepy prankster, alongside Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara. Newcomers to the series 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 to find that her daughter Astrid (Ortega) has opened a portal to the afterlife. (The teaser trailer fittingly shows Keaton explaining to an astonished Ryder, “The juice is released.”)
“The director takes up the insanely playful spirit of one of his timeless hits from the golden era and seems to have been revitalized. He also serves up a similar tonic for two actors who played major roles in more than just the original. Beetlejuice but also from Burton’s Batman Films and Edward Scissorhands: Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder,” writes The Hollywood Reporter Chief film critic David Rooney in his review of the sequel, which celebrated its world premiere at the glamorous Venice Film Festival.
The film’s current critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes is a fresh 76 percent.
Burton directed the sequel based on a script by Wednesday Showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar as well as Seth Grahame-Smith are credited for their work on the film’s story.
