Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Second Weekend Box Office Lead Could Spell Major Win for Theaters

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is set to win the box office for the second straight week and it could prove that the movie business is back on track. The Tim Burton movieIs looking at a $50 million weekend after $14 million yesterday. If Beetlejuice Beetlejuice can reach projections, that would be the first second weekend of September to push past $100 million since 2019. Getting those numbers back to pre-2020 is something that studios have been trying to accomplish for years now. The fall frame is going to get a boost from the wave of horror projects hitting screens and a possible jolt from Joker: Folie A Deux.

Last year’s autumn movie slate was hindered from the very beginning. As the Writers’ and Actors’ strikes raged on, no talent could go and promote their movies. Big titles that wouldn’t have reached the heights we’ve seen this year, but still would have been competitive in the pandemic-era, were basically thrown out of the air lock. (Think of how something like Alien: Romulus has benefitted from various pushes and the Beetlejuice cast interviews you’ve seen all over social media.) Even It Ends With Us probably wouldn’t have been a feather in the cap for distributors without all the star-based attention on it.

For about four years now, social media has lamented the presence of remakes, sequels and franchises. But, when things were looking grim this year, a bunch of familiar faces came in to save the day. Not even on the Disney side of things to start. Dune Part Two ended up being massive. Bad Boys: Ride or Die was massive in proving that the franchise still had a big hold on the public. Inside Out 2 came in shortly after to beat projections and become the biggest movie of the year. Deadpool & Wolverine knocked suspicions of “superhero fatigue” sideways. So, if the fall can continue this momentum, the movie theater prognosticators might have to change their tune.

Is Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Worth Your Time?

There is no real doubt that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a fall extravaganza at the movie theater. ComicBook’s Kofi Outlaw dove into the Tim Burton sequel for our site. In our writer’s estimation, the director still has supreme command of these characters in this world. Outlaw would also praise Michael Keaton for his performance as Beetlejuice this time around as well. Despite all that goodwill from the warm waters of nostalgia, our critic did have to wonder if the time that’s passed has colored some of the output in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Check out what he had to say right here.

“In terms of production, Beetlejuice 2 is both Burton pulling off a significant return to form, and showing off new talent for filmmaking gained over the years,” Outlaw begins. “It’s equally true that Burton and Michael Keaton haven’t lost a step: Keaton’s scenes as Betelgeuse are the highlight of the sequel – though a lot of viewers may forget, in their nostalgia, that Keaton had limited screen time in the original, and the same is true with this sequel.” 

“The same is true of Burton’s vision of the afterlife and mythos: it’s a return to a familiar and darkly funny vision of death but also gets weighted with more serious moments that feel in conflict with Burton’s irreverent and campy take on gore and horror,” he added. 

Do you think this summer has helped turn the box office around? Will the fall continue that pattern? Are you headed to see any movies this weekend? Check out all the pop culture conversation at @ComicBook!