Tim Burton’s Tim Burton’s directorial movie career began with small or medium-budget films that turned into big successes, like Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice 2, and Edward Scissorhands, with these hits leading to some big-budget blockbusters like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory, Dark Shadows, Alice in Wonderland, and Dumbo. His last major commercial “smash” before Beetlejuice 2 was 2010’s Alice in Wonderland, which made over $1 billion at the box office.

After a series of commercial disappointments, like Dumbo, or moderate successes, such as Big Eyes, Beetlejuice 2’s all-star cast, momentum from Burton’s Wednesday success, critical acclaim, a relatively more reserved budget, and 36-year wait after Beetlejuice, the sequel is primed to be a huge box office hit for Tim Burton and Warner Bros.

Beetlejuice 2 Reportedly Cost $100 Million To Make

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice's Budget Is Much Higher Than The Cost Of The Original Movie

According to Burton and Keaton prioritized practical effects on Beetlejuice 2 over CGI and digital technology, crafting the sequel’s eccentric, wacky afterlife and ghosts still likely took up a good portion of the budget.

While the number may still seem high, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s budget is lower than many of Tim Burton’s other recent large-scale movies. For example, Dumbo’s budget was $170 million, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children cost about $110 million, Dark Shadows’ budget was approximately $150 million, Alice in Wonderland’s budget was estimated at $200 million, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory cost around $150 million. However, only two of these movies, Charlie in the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland, were deemed big box office successes.

Beetlejuice 2's $100 million production budget is over 6.6 times the cost of Tim Burton's original 1988 Beetlejuice movie at $15 million.

Beetlejuice 2 Needs To Make At Least $250 Million To Be A Box Office Success

Beetlejuice 2 Could Quickly Turn A Profit

Going by the rule of thumb that a movie needs to make at least 2.5 times its production budget to be a success, Beetlejuice 2 needs to earn over $250 million to become a box office hit. Thankfully, Beetlejuice 2 is projected to speedily earn back its budget, with Variety reporting that it's expected to earn over $100 million worldwide during its opening weekend alone. Considering 2024’s Inside Out 2 made approximately $150 million during opening weekend and has now earned over $1.6 billion, Beetlejuice 2 could very well turn a profit after its first month in theaters.

With horror movies often continuing to have a hold in theaters throughout the fall, Beetlejuice 2's return to the Deetz family's story is expected to have long legs at the 2024 box office. If so, the sequel may not just turn a profit of over $150 million, but could follow suit after Disney’s big $1 billion blockbusters this summer by reaching that coveted benchmark. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is already exceeding box office and critical expectations, so a box office haul of $500 million, $800 million, or, yes, even $1 billion isn’t an impossibility if the enthusiasm for the PG-13 horror-comedy remains strong.

Source: Variety