Tim Burton got the budget forBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceslashed by almost $50 million when he insisted on a theatrical release, but that decision ultimately saved the movie. Released36 years after the classic originalBeetlejuicemovie,Beetlejuice Beetlejuicehas arrived as one of the most successful legacy sequels in recent memory. It’s been a critical and commercial hit, with praise for Burton’s direction, the creepy production design, and Michael Keaton’s hilarious performance in the title role. TheBeetlejuicesequel is a genuine crowd-pleaser, but it almost wasn’t put in front of any crowds.
In recent years, studios have gotten more and more eager to forgo a theatrical release in favor of a less costly streaming release. A straight-to-streaming release can mean a lot less profit for a hit movie, but it can also mean a lot less money is lost on a flop. Recent movies likePreyand theRoad Houseremake have had a good chance at box office success, but they’ve been dumped on a streaming service instead. By sticking to his guns and refusing to go straight to streaming, Burton ensuredthe success ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Tim Burton’s Insistence On A Theatrical Release For Beetlejuice 2 Led To A Lower Budget
A Theatrical Release Forced Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s Budget Below $100 Million
It was recently reported thatBeetlejuice Beetlejuicewas originally earmarked for a streaming release. Warner Bros. wanted theBeetlejuicesequel to skip theaters and go directly to a streaming service. But it ended up getting a theatrical release, and Burton is to thank for that. According to Warner Bros. Entertainment’s CEO, Pamela Abdy, a straight-to-streaming release was “never going to work for Tim.” No matter what perks he got in his contract or how big a budget he was offered,Burton demanded thatBeetlejuice Beetlejuicego to theaters so it could be seen on the big screen.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceis Burton’s first horror movie since 2012’sFrankenweenie.
By demanding a theatrical release, Burton had his budget slashed.Warner Bros. reportedly would’ve givenBeetlejuice 2an extra $48 millionif it was going straight to streaming. But in order to mitigate the cost of getting theBeetlejuicesequel into theaters, the budget was slashed to just below $100 million. Burton got the budget down by getting some of the major players to take salary cuts and throwing in some tax incentives. This meant thatBeetlejuice Beetlejuicecould avoid a streaming release and get into theaters – andthat arguably saved the movie from disappearing into obscurity.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Deserved Its Theatrical Release – And Its Box Office Shows It
Audiences Have Showed Up In Droves For Beetlejuice 2
Beetlejuice Beetlejuicedeserved to get a theatrical release, and its success at the box office proves that.Beetlejuice 2is a really fun movie to see in a theater. As a comedy with a rapid-fire gag rate, it plays great to a crowd. And thanks to the old-school practical effects that Burton used over modern CGI,Beetlejuice 2looks gorgeous when it’s projected onto a big screen. Its practical sets and stop-motion effects make it look better than most of the other CGI-riddled blockbusters to hit the big screen in recent years.
10 Reasons Beetlejuice 2’s $110 Million Box Office Opening Is So Fantastic
From nostalgia for the original to Jenna Ortega’s star power, there are many reasons why Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has done so well at the box office.
So far,Beetlejuice Beetlejuicehas grossed $264,256,434 at the worldwide box office(viaBox Office Mojo). The general rule of thumb is that movies need to gross 2.5 times their production budget to break even. Since its budget was kept under $100 million to get into theaters, that meansBeetlejuice 2has already soared past the break-even point. This financial success proves this was a movie that people would turn out for, so Burton was right. Although a streaming release would’ve madeBeetlejuice 2more accessible to audiences in theory, it probably would’ve gotten a lot less attention that way.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Makes The Most Of Its Lowered Budget
Beetlejuice 2 Is Full Of Awesome Practical Effects
Although it had to cut $48 million from its budget,Beetlejuice Beetlejuicemade the most of what money it had left. Its practical sets and special effects are a feast for the eyes, and it doesn’t have any scenes that drag on for too long. It might’ve been a different story if the movie had a bigger budget for a streaming release.
It’s possible to imagine a world whereBeetlejuice 2is made as a streaming release for a massively inflated budget, and that inflated budget leads to excess.
It’s possible to imagine a world whereBeetlejuice 2is made as a streaming release for a massively inflated budget, and that inflated budget leads to excess.Beetlejuice Beetlejuicepacks a lot in, but it keeps a tight runtime and everything is in service of great gags and entertainment.It’s very easy to imagine this on streaming with an extra 20 to 30 minutes of runtimeand some bigger set-pieces that actually don’t add all that much to the overall story.
