Weekend Box Office 9/8 - "Mid" BEETLEJUICE Sequel Rolls to Records

[AndyDursin]

Can't say I've seen any good reviews really of BEETLEJUICE but the nostalgia machine has churned out another hit for WB.

1.) Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (WB) 4575 theaters, Fri $41.8M, Sat $41.8M Sun $26.4M, 3-day $110M/Wk 1
2.) Deadpool & Wolverine (Dis) 3400 (-230) theaters Fri $1.7M Sat $3.3M Sun $2.2M 3-day $7.2M (-53%), Total $614M /Wk 7
3.) Reagan (SBD) 2,770 (+16) theaters, Fri $1.5M Sat $2M Sun $1.7M, 3-day $5.2M (-32%) Total $18.5M /Wk 2
4.) Alien: Romulus (20th) 2,560 (-560) theaters Fri $1M Sat $1.8M Sun $1.1M 3-day $3.9M (-57%) Total $97.1M/Wk 4
5.) It Ends With Us (Sony) 2,850 (-701) theaters, Fri $1.1M Sat $1.6M Sun $1M 3-day $3.75M (-49%) Total $141.3M /Wk 5

6.) The Forge (Sony) 1710 (-211) theaters Fri $765K Sat $1.27M Sun $900K 3-day $2.935M (-34%) Total $20.7M /Wk 3
7.) Twisters (Uni) 2252 (-753) theaters Fri $560K Sat $1M Sun $620K 3-day $2.25M (-71%) Total $264.6M/Wk 8
8.) Blink Twice (AMZ MGM) 1806 (-1261) theaters Fri $619K Sat 906K Sun 589K 3-day $2.1M (-56%), Total $20.2M/Wk 3
9.) Despicable Me 4 (Uni) 1919 (-779) theaters, Fri $300K Sat $940K Sun $560K 3-day $1.8M (-56%) Total $357.8M/Wk 10
10.) The Front Room (A24) 2095 theaters Fri $661K Sat $601K Sun $451K 3-day $1.66M/Wk 1

[Monterey Jack]

It's the Top Gun: Maverick effect...take the rare 80s hit that didn't generate one sequel back in the day, bring back the original star in a production that doesn't insult the audience, and people will beat a path to the box office. Had there been three increasingly disappointing Beetlejuice sequels in the 90s, this new one wouldn't be opening nearly as huge. Plus, both Burton and Ortega are coming off Wednesday, which is HUGE amongst younger viewers, so that's adding to the interest.

[AndyDursin]

And of course nothing else playing which is part of it too.

I read through the list of weekly releases between now and January. I might go once maybe twice to the movies again this year and that's it. It's incredible how barren the product is between now and well into 2025.

[TaranofPrydain]

It's the Top Gun: Maverick effect...take the rare 80s hit that didn't generate one sequel back in the day, bring back the original star in a production that doesn't insult the audience, and people will beat a path to the box office. Had there been three increasingly disappointing Beetlejuice sequels in the 90s, this new one wouldn't be opening nearly as huge. Plus, both Burton and Ortega are coming off Wednesday, which is HUGE amongst younger viewers, so that's adding to the interest.

Absolutely true. And that is correct about Top Gun as well, because that sequel was enormous at the box office, but then the next year when Cruise appeared in yet another sequel to Mission Impossible, it underperformed for Paramount. Ultimately its the law of decreasing fortunes with every extra trip to the well.

[Monterey Jack]

Absolutely true. And that is correct about Top Gun as well, because that sequel was enormous at the box office, but then the next year when Cruise appeared in yet another sequel to Mission Impossible, it underperformed for Paramount. Ultimately its the law of decreasing fortunes with every extra trip to the well.

And the last M:I movie was good! If studios are gonna mine the cinema of the past for contemporary profits, they have to know they're gonna be bringing up nothing but dirt eventually, and audiences know when they're eating dirt (look at how many "sure thing" franchises, from The Fast & The Furious 10 to The Flash to Indiana Jones And The Dud Of Destiny tanked like crazy last year). Meanwhile, a sequel like Inside Out 2 because the highest-grossing animated movie EVER, mainly by being a sequel to a beloved movie that came out JUST long enough after to be considered a mid-2010s generational touchstone and legitimately great.

[TaranofPrydain]

Absolutely true. And that is correct about Top Gun as well, because that sequel was enormous at the box office, but then the next year when Cruise appeared in yet another sequel to Mission Impossible, it underperformed for Paramount. Ultimately its the law of decreasing fortunes with every extra trip to the well.

And the last M:I movie was good! If studios are gonna mine the cinema of the past for contemporary profits, they have to know they're gonna be bringing up nothing but dirt eventually, and audiences know when they're eating dirt (look at how many "sure thing" franchises, from The Fast & The Furious 10 to The Flash to Indiana Jones And The Dud Of Destiny tanked like crazy last year). Meanwhile, a sequel like Inside Out 2 because the highest-grossing animated movie EVER, mainly by being a sequel to a beloved movie that came out JUST long enough after to be considered a mid-2010s generational touchstone and legitimately great.

True, but the other problem is that sequels rarely live up to the original. Inside Out 2, even in spite of its massive financial success, is a very pale and unnecessary sequel that goes through the motions without knowing much of the music. Beetlejuice is most likely the same. Hollywood itself has reached the end of the road really because nearly all they can do is try to squeeze more out of the past with annoying new touches.