We're less than a week-and-a-half removed from the theatrical release of Tim Burton 's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice , but the film is already a major box office hit. The blockbuster sequel had the third best debut of the year when it first arrived on the big screen at the start September, and the movie sat in the #1 spot in the Top 10 yet again this past weekend . It will go down as one of the most substantial big screen hits of 2024.
.. which is why it's pretty crazy to think that the studio demanded nearly $50 million to be cut from its budget in order to secure a theatrical release.
The New York Times has published an article about the quick box office success of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice , and it includes a revelation that the movie didn't have the easiest path through pre-production – primarily due to conflicts regarding costs and distribution. Per the article, there was an expected budget of roughly $147 million estimated, but Warner Bros. said that number had to come down to $100 million if it wanted to get theatrical distribution.
Tim Burton has some experience with streaming under his belt, as he is an executive producer on the hit Netflix series Wednesday , but in the discussion of making Beetlejuice Beetlejuice , the idea of making it as a Max original was apparently a non-starter. In the words of producer Pamela Abdy, That was never going to work for Tim. You’re talking about a visionary artist whose films demand to be seen on a big screen.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Rev.