The highly anticipated Beetlejuice sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, kicked off the post-summer movie season with a huge $110 million opening weekend.
This impressive debut marks the second-largest September opening of all time, second only to It (2017), which grossed $123.4 million during its opening weekend. The success of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice not only boosted the weekend box office total to $150 million but also significantly outperformed last year’s comparable weekend, where The Nun 2 brought in $32.6 million.
This win for the PG-13-rated film ended a six-week streak of R-rated films topping the box office and reignited the momentum in movie ticket sales that began with the July release of Deadpool & Wolverine. Over the last 45 days, total box office earnings for 2024 have outpaced the same period in 2023 by 14%, bringing this year back to 86% of last year’s total box office.
A Long-Awaited Sequel
Fans have waited over three decades for a Beetlejuice sequel. Tim Burton and Michael Keaton, initially hesitant to revisit the cult classic, were finally convinced by a strong script and support from Brad Pitt’s Plan B production company.
Burton, who was promised creative freedom, worked on bringing the characters back to life in a fresh yet familiar way, while Keaton was excited by the more emotional connection the new storyline offered. The film centers on Lydia Deetz’s teenage daughter, Astrid, who accidentally opens a portal to the afterlife, thrusting her family back into the exorcist’s chaotic world.
Beetlejuice Then and Now: A Box Office Comparison
When the original film premiered in 1988, it opened in just 1,000 theaters and expanded to 1,500 at its widest release, pulling in $8 million on its opening weekend. In comparison, the sequel debuted in 4,575 locations, making it the widest opening of 2024 and pulling in an impressive $110 million over the weekend.
| Category | Beetlejuice (1988) | Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Locations | 1,000 | 4,575 |
| Opening Weekend Gross | $8.0M | $110M |
| Per-Theater Average | $8,030 | $24,044 |
| Total Domestic Gross | $74.7M | TBD |
| Production Budget | $15M | $100M |
| Rotten Tomatoes – Critics | 83% | 77% |
| Rotten Tomatoes – Audience | 82% | 83% |
While the sequel has already surpassed the $74.7 million lifetime gross of the original, when adjusted for inflation, the 1988 film’s earnings equate to about $198.6 million in today’s dollars. The sequel is expected to hit that mark soon and turn a profit once it crosses $250 million globally.
Additional Box Office Highlights
The superhero film Deadpool & Wolverine took second place this weekend with $7.2 million, continuing its record-setting run with a total domestic gross of $614 million. In third place was the biopic Reagan, which brought in $5.2 million despite mixed reviews from critics, followed by Alien: Romulus and It Ends With Us.
With Tim Burton’s sequel reigniting excitement for the fall movie season, upcoming releases like Speak No Evil, Transformers One, and The Wild Robot are expected to keep the momentum going throughout September.
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