Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Tim Burton’s highly anticipated sequel, is poised to make a major splash at the September box office, with projections suggesting a debut between $100 million and $110 million domestically. Warner Bros. is taking a more cautious approach, forecasting a debut of $80 million or more.
If these estimates hold, the film would claim the second-best September opening ever, following 2017’s It, which pulled in $123 million during its launch. Other notable September releases include It Chapter Two (2019) with $91.1 million and Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), which opened to $75.4 million amid pandemic conditions.
The long-awaited sequel arrives 36 years after the original Beetlejuice became a cult classic. The 1988 film earned $74 million at the box office, a figure that translates to over $195 million when adjusted for inflation. Burton’s new chapter banks on the nostalgic appeal of the original, drawing in both new and returning audiences across generations.
The sequel, budgeted at $100 million, brings back Michael Keaton as the mischievous ghost, with Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara reprising their roles. Newcomers to the franchise include Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, and Willem Dafoe. In this installment, Lydia Deetz (Ryder) returns home with her family after a tragedy, only to discover her daughter Astrid (Ortega) has accidentally opened a portal to the afterlife. The teaser even shows Keaton’s Beetlejuice exclaiming, “The juice is loose.”
Critics have responded positively to the film, which holds a 79 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Burton, working with Wednesday showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar on the script, is said to have recaptured the same whimsical energy that made the original Beetlejuice a hit.
The sequel premiered at the Venice Film Festival to much fanfare, further boosting its momentum ahead of its wide release.