Beetlejuice 2 breaks box-office records as it's revealed the Tim Burton sequel almost went straight to streaming

In a bizarre twist of fate, it has been revealed that Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice sequel, which is now dominating movie theatres, almost went straight to streaming.

That's right, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice almost skipped a theatrical release altogether to premiere on popular US streaming site Max under Warner Bros.' previous regime, according to The New York Times. However, the plan changed when the movie was officially greenlit by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy. "That was never going to work for Tim," Abdy told NYT, "You're talking about a visionary artist whose films demand to be seen on a big screen."

The reason for the studio wanting to send the sequel straight to streaming is unknown but it seems as though the studio was nervous about Burton’s proposed $147 million budget and the fact the filmmaker hadn't huge box office hit since Disney's live-action Alice in Wonderland in 2010. In the end, Warner Bros. agreed to a major theatrical release, that is if the budget was under $100 million – and Beetlejuice 2 just so happened to cost $99 million.

Alas, Beetlejuice’s theatrical release was the right call as the sequel has topped expectations reaching over $264 million so far globally since opening on September 6. Moreover, it has broken box office records by having the biggest second weekend in September since the pandemic and the second-highest after IT in 2017, as per Variety. This is exactly what Warner Bros. needs after a summer of letdowns, from Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga grossing $172 million worldwide against its $168 million budget, and thriller The Watchers (titled The Watched in the UK) raising $33 million - $3 million over its budget.

Welcoming back Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse, Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, and Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz, Beetlejuice 2 revisits Winter River almost 40 years after the '80s original where the ghoul is summoned to the land of the living once again. New cast members include Jenna Ortega as Astrid Deetz, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, and Justin Theroux.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is out in theaters now. If you haven't seen it yet, check out our Beetlejuice Beetlejuice review for our verdict on the sequel. For more, check out all upcoming horror movies coming in 2024 and beyond.