Say it once, say it twice, and it’s third time the charm forTim BurtonandMichael Keaton’s belated sequel to their 1988 hitBeetlejuice. After exorcising the box office earlier this year,Beetlejuice Beetlejuicehas followed up its successful VOD release by materializing at the top of the HBO chart as it arrived on Max. Launching on December 6, the film easily snatched the number one spot to continue the incredible run of a movie that almost never happened.
The originalBeetlejuicewas released in 1988, and introduced the world to Keaton’s mischievous freedom-seeking demon Betelgeuse. The Tim Burton movie was a box office hit, hauling in over $70 million from a $15 million budget, and delivering plenty of laughs, scares, and an iconic performance from Keaton in the titular role. Despite becoming an instant pop culture icon, and spawning an animated TV show, plans for asequel proved to be incredibly elusive for more than three decades.
Finally, after several abandoned iterations, Burton reunited Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara, threw in Jenna Ortega, Monica Bellucci, Willem Dafoe, and Justin Theroux, and somehow resurrected the franchise in a crowd-pleasing spectacle that delivered exactly what it needed in order to live up to the legacy of the original movie. The September release sawBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceconjure up a $400 million box office gross, and rack up a strong 76% Tomatometer score and 79% Popcornmeter rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Will Beetlejuice 3 Even Happen?
When it comes to the strange world of Hollywood movies, it is not unusual for a franchise to lie dormant for decades, produce an unexpectedly successful sequel, and immediately churn out another film as a result.Ghostbusters: Afterlifeled intoGhostbusters: Frozen Empireafter a 30-year hiatus from 1989’sGhostbusters II, andTop Gun: Maverick’s incredible 2022 success has seenTop Gun 3heading into early development. However, when it comes to the chances of fans getting to see a thirdBeetlejuicemovie, Burton isn’t that enthusiastic about going around again. Speaking in a previous interview, Burton responded to questions about another sequel by saying:
“Well, if [the same] time frame goes on, I’ll be about 100. So maybe. I doubt it.”
Of course, it is hard to rule anything out these days, and producer Tommy Harper seemed to be a little more positive about the idea of the inevitably titled “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” making it into cinemas in the coming years. He said:
“I think with Tim’s love for the title and the characters, the door is open, but we’ll see what happens next.”
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Whatever happens in the future,Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s dominance on Max is just another sign that the 36-year wait to see the Ghost with the Most return to cause more havoc was one that was worth it. Whether watching for the first time, or revisiting the film after seeing it in cinemas in September,Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceis now home and setting up for a spooky festive season on the HBO chart.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.
