The wait is over, and the iconic spirit is back in action! After a whopping 36 years, the ghost with the most has made his grand return in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” and it’s off to a fantastic start. The sequel, directed by Tim Burton, raked in an impressive $110 million during its opening weekend, marking it as the third-best opening of the year, trailing only behind the box office behemoths “Inside Out 2” and “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
In a dazzling revival of an 80s classic, Michael Keaton returns to his beloved role as the mischievous poltergeist Beetlejuice. Joining him are Catherine O’Hara and Winona Ryder, reprising their roles as Delia and Lydia Deetz. Adding a fresh twist to the mix, Jenna Ortega plays Lydia’s daughter, Astrid, with Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, and Justin Theroux rounding out the star-studded ensemble.
What’s more, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has already carved out its place in the record books. The film has secured the position of the second-highest grossing September movie ever, just behind the 2017 horror hit “It,” which debuted with a staggering $123 million. The previous September champ, “It Chapter 2,” opened with $91 million but now finds itself in third place. To put this in perspective, the original “Beetlejuice” film only brought in $8 million during its opening weekend back in 1988, though it eventually grossed $77 million domestically and became a cult favorite.
Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.’ distribution chief, shared his excitement about the film’s success, noting, “There’s life in the afterlife.” He added, “Many things have to happen simultaneously, and all the stars are aligning.” With a budget of $100 million, the studio had anticipated an opening between $80 million and $90 million. Given the strong debut, Goldstein hinted that the film might enjoy a lengthy run, especially with Halloween just around the corner.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, emphasized that September isn’t typically known for blockbuster debuts, but he credited the film’s success to Burton’s unique style and the star-studded cast. The inclusion of Jenna Ortega, who gained fame from the Netflix series “Wednesday,” likely attracted a younger audience, adding a new layer of appeal to the nostalgic film.
The electrifying success of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has set the stage for a lively fall movie season, especially after a relatively quiet August and a slow Labor Day weekend. Besides the Beetlejuice buzz, “Deadpool & Wolverine” held strong in second place, earning $7.2 million in its seventh weekend, bringing its total domestic gross to an impressive $614 million.
Meanwhile, the Dennis Quaid-led biopic “Reagan” continues to exceed expectations. The film about the 40th U.S. president climbed to third place in its second weekend, with $5.2 million in earnings. The sci-fi horror flick “Alien: Romulus” and the romance drama “It Ends With Us” rounded out the top five, with $3.9 million and $3.8 million, respectively.
The only other new release to make waves was “The Greatest of All Time,” an Indian Tamil-language sci-fi action film starring Joseph Vijay and directed by Venkat Prabhu. It managed to capture some attention, landing in the box office rankings with an estimated $2 million.
Here’s a quick look at the top ten box office hits of the weekend:
- “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” - $110 million
- “Deadpool & Wolverine” - $7.2 million
- “Reagan” - $5.2 million
- “Alien: Romulus” - $3.9 million
- “It Ends With Us” - $3.8 million
- “The Forge” - $2.9 million
- “Twisters” - $2.3 million
- “Blink Twice” - $2.1 million
- “The Greatest of All Time” - $2 million
- “Despicable Me 4” - $1.8 million
With the fall movie season now officially underway, it’s clear that audiences are in for a thrilling ride. From classic comebacks to new hits, this weekend’s box office results prove that there’s plenty of excitement in store for moviegoers.
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