Since hitting theaters in September, Beetlejuice 2 has reached another significant box office milestone, firmly establishing itself as one of Tim Burton’s top-performing movies throughout his career. This sequel to the 1988 cult classic resumes decades later, with Astrid Deetz (Jenna Ortega) in Winter River accidentally summoning Michael Keaton’s Betelgeuse, following three generations of Deetzs. The film has received generally favorable reviews from critics and has been a huge box office hit.
While still in theaters, it reports that Beetlejuice 2 grossed $820,000 domestically in its tenth weekend, pushing its worldwide total to an astounding $450 million. Domestically, it has amassed $293 million, outperforming Dune: Part Two ($282M) to become Warner Bros.’ best-performing movie of the year. For Burton, this film’s worldwide gross ranks it as his third highest-grossing movie ever, trailing behind 2011’s Alice in Wonderland ($1.025B) and 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ($475M).
What does Beetlejuice 2’s box office success imply for the franchise? With both audiences and critics giving it the thumbs up, Burton’s follow-up to his 1988 film has been a triumph. It has a respectable 77% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and an even higher 79% audience score. Made on a budget of around $100 million, it clearly surpassed its likely break-even point of between $200 million and $250 million. Given this success, it’s natural to wonder about a third installment.
However, although the ending of Beetlejuice 2 leaves room for more story, there’s been no confirmation of another movie yet. Burton hasn’t directly addressed the possibility, but his August interview with Total Film suggested he might be hesitant, as he “noticeably squirms at the suggestion of a Beetlejuice franchise.” Turning this unique horror-fantasy into a blockbuster trilogy might not be in his plans. Meanwhile, Keaton told E! News last month that he’d be willing to do another one “every year.”
Our take on Beetlejuice 2’s success is that it might be best to let this be Betelgeuse’s final outing. While it would be enjoyable to revisit Burton’s eccentric world for Beetlejuice 3, if Burton himself has doubts about continuing, it could be wiser to leave the story as it is. The response to the sequel, though positive, wasn’t as enthusiastic as for the original, and a third movie might see the critical response decline further if the story is stretched too far. Instead, Beetlejuice 2, with its box office success, allows Betelgeuse to go out on a high note.
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