Beetlejuice is one of the most underrated horror-comedy films of the 80s when the subgenre had just started to make a mainstream splash. It also remains a lesser-known collaboration between director Tim Burton and actor Michael Keaton, best known for their work together on the Batman franchise.
After decades, the film is finally receiving a sequel, making fans reflect on the original film’s success or the lack of it at the box office. While Beetlejuice certainly did not set the box office on fire, it still performed relatively well. As a result, the film’s box office numbers can often deceive fans, and here is why the horror comedy was a major commercial success.
How Much Money Did Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice Make at the Box Office?
Beetlejuice is a 1988 fantasy horror comedy film directed by Tim Burton and starring Michael Keaton in the titular role. It tells the story of the titular bio-exorcist from the Netherworld, who is summoned to scare away the new inhabitants of a house.
In 2024, the film will receive a much-anticipated sequel titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, with Burton and Keaton reprising their duties from the first film. As a result, some moviegoers might wonder if the original film was financially successful enough to warrant a second installment in the first place.
Beetlejuice was released in theaters on March 30, 1988, and was reportedly produced on a budget of approximately $15 million. It collected $8.03 million on its opening weekend and went on to gross a total of $74.7 million at the worldwide box office. As a result, the film became the 14th highest-grossing film of the year worldwide and the 10th highest-grossing film domestically.
Why Beetlejuice‘s Box Office Numbers Can Be Deceiving Especially For a Horror Comedy?
At first glance, Beetlejuice‘s numbers might not seem impressive by the standards of modern-day blockbusters. However, considering the film was a horror comedy made in the 80s, its box office numbers are certainly above par. For instance, Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead II, another horror comedy, was released a year prior. It managed to gross only $5.9 million at the box office.
Meanwhile, installments of blockbuster franchises such as A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 and Rambo III, also released in 1988, struggled at the box office, grossing $49.3 million and $53.7 million domestically. Hence, Beetlejuice certainly overperformed at the box office, especially when compared to existing franchises.
Similarly, the film’s numbers look all the more impressive when compared to action blockbusters such as Die Hard, which was also released the same year. Made on a relatively higher budget, the film grossed $85.8 million domestically, which is almost on par with Beetlejuice, which made most of its $74.7 million collection at the domestic box office.
Of course, when compared to some of the other horror comedy blockbusters of the 80s, such as 1984’s Ghostbusters, which minted $295.2 million worldwide, Beetlejuice was by no means a monster hit. However, given its moderate budget and box office numbers, it is safe to say that Beetlejuice was commercially successful.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is slated to be released on September 6, 2024, while Beetlejuice streaming on Max.
