Although most critics agree it doesn’t live up to the original classic, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has been an undeniable box office sensation since it was released in early September. The movie outgrossed the first installment in its opening weekend, and has now made more than $250 million worldwide.
According to reporting in The New York Times, ideas for a sequel had been kicking around Hollywood for some time, and one of the more recent ideas was to create a movie that would go directly to Warner Bros. streaming service Max. The budget for the movie was at one time roughly $147 million due largely to “star salaries and producer fees,” but director Tim Burton actually squeezed the budget so that the movie would get an exclusive release in theaters.
They ultimately got the budget down to $99 million, just below the $100 million threshold that would ensure the movie played in theaters. As part of that budget reduction, stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega and Catherine O’Hara all agreed to taking less money upfront in exchange for a greater percentage of the backend gross. Following the movie’s tremendous success, it seems like that was a smart bet.
The film has now topped the U.S. box office for two weeks in a row, and could be set to play well all the way through Halloween. The movie has been more of a hit than even many prognosticators expected, drafting in large part off of nostalgia from the first film, and in part off of the solid reviews the sequel received. It seems like everyone is grateful the movie wound up in theaters, as it made everyone better off in the end.
