Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Almost Went Straight To Streaming

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As a seasoned cinephile with over four decades of moviegoing under my belt, let me tell you that the success story of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is nothing short of magical. I remember watching the original 1988 classic and being utterly captivated by its quirky charm, so when I heard about a sequel, I was both excited and apprehensive – after all, not every beloved movie needs a follow-up.

If plans by Warner Bros. Discovery had succeeded, the hit movie “Beetlejuice” would have been exclusively streamed on Max instead of its successful run in cinemas. According to a recent report from The New York Times, as shared by Yahoo! News, it was actually Tim Burton’s agent who ensured that the sequel to his 1988 classic would be shown in theaters, although he initially had everyone at Warner Bros. worried due to the large budget he managed to secure for the project.

As reported by Pamela Abdy, co-chair of Warner Brothers Motion Picture Group, an early proposal suggested that Tim Burton direct a streaming version of Beetlejuice, with a budget approximately $147 million. However, according to her remarks, Burton expressed skepticism about this idea.

It wouldn’t have been suitable for Tim, given that he is a visionary artist whose films are meant to be experienced on a large screen.

Since his last successful film, “Alice in Wonderland” in 2010, Burton’s subsequent five movies have not done well financially. This has raised questions about his directorial prowess and caused some to doubt the potential success of a sequel to a 35-year-old movie like “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”. The studio only agreed to release it in theaters if Burton could keep the budget under $100 million, a feat he hasn’t achieved since his 2014 film, “Big Eyes”.

In an interview with The Times, Mike Simpson shared that the escalating costs almost caused the movie’s demise over two long months. However, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Jenna Ortega ultimately agreed with Burton that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice should grace the big screen. As a result, they decided to lower their initial salaries in exchange for a larger share of the movie’s profits instead. Similarly, Burton accepted a pay cut if it meant realizing his vision on the big screen, thereby reducing the total budget to $99 million.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Has Been a Box Office Smash

Ten days ago, on September 6, I’ve been chuckling all the way to the bank thanks to the box office success of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Its opening weekend alone saw it earn an impressive $111 million, placing it as the second-biggest September opening, trailing only Andy Muscietti’s IT Chapter One from 2017. The sequel has since accumulated a staggering $264 million in its first couple of weeks, and now ranks as the 12th highest-grossing movie of the year so far, and the most successful film of Tim Burton’s career, surpassed only by Alice in Wonderland.

Despite potentially dropping to second place at the box office this weekend due to the debut of “Transformers One”, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has already recouped its costs, with any additional earnings serving as pure profit. This success validates Tim Burton and the main cast’s decision to accept lower salaries in exchange for a larger share of the profits, ensuring this film gets the cinematic release it truly deserved. Now, everyone just needs to keep collecting their checks as the money continues to pour in.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
is now playing in theaters from Warner Bros. Pictures.

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2024-09-16 21:32