Tim Burton Officially Gets The Redemption He Deserves After $353 Million Flop 5 Years Ago

The screening of Beetlejuice 2 in Venice reveals a true return to form for gothic film auteur Tim Burton, redeeming the director after the disappointment of Dumbo in 2019. Arriving 36 years after the 1988 original Beetlejuice movie, Burton returns to the cinematic director’s chair as he continues the story of the Deetz family tree and the mischievous Betelgeuse in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Following on the heels of his success with Netflix’s Wednesday season 1 in the fall of 2022, Warner Bros. is officially releasing Beetlejuice 2 on September 6, 2024 in theaters.

Following its Venice Film Festival premiere on August 28, 2024, the sequel is a resounding success for Tim Burton and Beetlejuice 2’s cast with overwhelmingly positive reviews and outstanding box office projections. Burton’s last movie was the infamous 2019 live-action remake of Dumbo, which received mixed reviews from critics while becoming a box office flop for Disney. The movie holds a 46% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, and earned only $353 million worldwide against a $170 million budget. Burton took a five-year gap from directing films after Dumbo’s misfire, but has finally returned with his official cinematic comeback.

Beetlejuice 2 Is Already The Critical & Box Office Success That Tim Burton Deserves After Dumbo’s Failures

Beetlejuice 2 Has Great Early Reviews & Impressive Box Office Projections

Rotten Tomatoes has calculated an official 78% critics’ score after the Venice Film Festival, confirming the majority of Beetlejuice 2‘s early reviews have been positive. Considering Beetlejuice 2 returns Tim Burton to his career origins with his gothic, goofy, practical, handmade, and creatively inspiring approach, the positive reviews for the sequel indicate a welcome return to form for the filmmaker. The film has been praised for Burton’s trademark touch, the cast and crew’s passion being tangible on screen, the performances, with Catherine O’Hara as a standout, and its emotional family-centered story.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, box office experts are projecting Beetlejuice 2 to have an $80 million domestic opening weekend. Warner Bros. is reportedly projecting a smaller number of $65 to $75 million in North America. Beetlejuice 2‘s projections are on par with some of 2024’s highest-grossing movies so far, indicating Burton may have his biggest box office hit since 2010’s Alice in Wonderland, which made over $1 billion. Considering Burton already proved himself capable of recapturing his early-career magic in Wednesday, Beetlejuice 2’s commercial and critical success on the big screen is inspiring to see as his comeback.

Beetlejuice 2’s Success Is Extremely Promising For Tim Burton’s Next Movie

After Beetlejuice 2, Tim Burton is returning to his B-movie sci-fi horror inspirations with a remake of 1958’s Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. Burton’s most critically acclaimed movie is 1994’s Ed Wood, which pays tribute to the titular filmmaker, the era of sci-fi horror movies in the 1950s, and the passionate spirit of outcasts in Hollywood. Attack of the 50 Foot Woman takes Burton back to this focus and passion from his work in the 1990s, which has far more promising prospects after Beetlejuice 2 successfully brought him back to his beloved ‘80s filmmaking approach.

Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, The Hollywood Reporter