Somebody must have said his name three times this weekend becauseMichael Keaton’s Ghost with the Most is back with a vengeance at the box office withBeetlejuice Beetlejuice. After weeks mostly dominated by holdovers from the summer likeDeadpool & WolverineandAlien: Romulus, the long-awaitedTim Burtonsequel broke through withan eye-popping $110 million domestic debut, making it the third-largest such premiere of the year behind only the aforementionedRyan ReynoldsandHugh Jackmanteam-up andInside Out 2. Withrave reviewsand nostalgia at its back, the film overperformed expectations for a record-setting return, marking the second-best debut at home for the director after only hisAlice in Wonderlandadaptation at $116 million.
Globally,Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceaddedan extra $35 million overseas for a $145 million totalto start its run. It’s another big win for Warner Bros., giving them their fourth #1 hit at the box office this year and setting a record for PG-13 films in September.Years of waitingfor the iconic title character’s return has certainly paid off for everyone involved, and it’s not likely to slow down either. A Certified Fresh 76% score from critics and a strong 82% score from audiences onRotten Tomatoescontribute to strong word-of-mouth andthe cast aloneis reason to see what the buzz is about. ThoughKeaton may once again steal the show,Winona RyderandCatherine O’Haraalso make the return trip to Winter River for some afterlife chaos with newcomersJenna Ortega,Willem Dafoe,Justin Theroux,Monica Bellucci,Burn Gorman, and more, adding extra firepower to the adventure.
In its seventh weekend,Deadpool & Wolverinewas once again dethroned with only another $7.2 million domestically. Even outside the top spot, however,Shawn Levy’s superhero smash continues to pass milestonesas its$1.29 billion global haulnow ranks as the 22nd highest-grossing movie of all time. WithFrozenamong the films recently surpassed, it now sets its sights onJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom’s $1.308 billion lifetime earnings mark.Romulus, meanwhile, added another $3.91 million to come in fourth place while also featuring an estimated $13.7 million international score to help the film to a $314.4 million lifetime haul. This now makes itthe second highest-grossingAlienfilm ever, behind only 2012’sPrometheus.
‘Reagan’ Continues to Defy the Odds While ‘It Ends With Us’ Keeps Rolling
Just ahead ofFede Álvarez’s Xenomorph flick in third place,Reagancontinued to overcome some grisly critical reviews to add another $5.2 million domestically. The film has found a passionate audience eager to watchSean McNamara’s telling of the titular president’s life unfold on the big screen, as indicated by a98% audience scorethat doesn’t seem to be budging. With$18.5 million total at home, theDennis Quaid-led biopic is close to crossing a major milestone already and seems poised to continue earning well after scoring the best hold of any film in the top ten.
Rounding out the top five is theBlake LivelyandJustin Baldoni-ledIt Ends With Uswith another $3.75 million andhas now officially overtakenThe Fault in Our Starswith $309 million globally. It’s been a great run for the power couple of Lively and Reynolds who,through their career-best box office hits, have scored a combined total of $1.5 billion worldwide. Only one other new film cracked the top ten — A24’sThe Front RoomstarringBrandy Norwood— and it didn’t exactly set the box office on fire with only $1.7 million domestically. The debut feature of brothersSamandMax Eggerscontinues a trend of horror features failing to grab much attention from audiences and mixed reviews haven’t helped. Although Collider’sJeff Ewinggave it a 7/10 in his review, critics and viewers were less impressed overall with a 50% and 34%Rotten Tomatoesscore respectively.
What’s Coming Soon to Theaters?
While there’s been a lack of new releases in recent weeks, that’s all about to change in the coming weekend and beyond. Chief among the new arrivals on September 20 isTransformers One,which will explore theorigins of the iconic Cybertronians Optimus Prime and Megatronbefore they became mortal enemies.Chris HemsworthandBryan Tyree Henrystar in the film, which was highly lauded as arguably the franchise’s best theatrical outing in early reactions. Before then, however, we’ll see one of horror’s most-anticipated titles in Blumhouse’sSpeak No Evilremake starringJames McAvoyand theDave Bautistaactioner,Killer’s Game. Overall,Beetlejuice Beetlejuicewill have a bit of competition for the box office crown coming soon.
Stay tuned here at Collider for future box office updates and grab your tickets forBeetlejuice Beetlejuicebelow.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: The sequel to the cult classic brings back the infamous ghost Beetlejuice, who is unleashed upon a modern family, setting off a chain of hilarious and supernatural events. As mischief ensues, both the living and the deceased must deal with the resulting chaos, blending comedic antics with ghostly intrigue.
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