Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Dominates the Box Office with $110 Million Opening Weekend

The ghoulish prankster is back, and audiences are loving it! Tim Burton's long-awaited sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has officially taken the No. 1 spot at the box office during its opening weekend, raking in a whopping $110 million.

This makes it the second-best September debut of all time, following only the 2017 Stephen King adaptation "It". (Let’s be honest, some parents are still recovering from that scare-fest.)

It was also a career-best opening for stars Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux, and Wednesday sensation Jenna Ortega. After 36 years, fans have been craving more from Michael Keaton's mischievous, ghostly character.

But with such high demand, the question remains: why did it take so long for Beetlejuice to return?

Related: Why Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis Aren’t in the ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel

Why Did the ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel Take So Long?

The return of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice took a bit of Hollywood magic to come together. Fans of the 1988 original have been waiting for decades to see their favourite mischievous demon back on screen, but Tim Burton needed everything to align just right.

Much of the original cast has returned, with Michael Keaton reprising his iconic role as Beetlejuice, while Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara are back as Lydia and Delia Deetz, respectively. But it was the addition of Jenna Ortega, starring as Lydia’s daughter and Delia’s granddaughter, that finally set the sequel in motion.

Catherine O’Hara joked in an interview with CNN, “Jenna had to be born, become an actress, and work with Tim,” explaining why it took so long for the follow-up to "click."

Ortega, who was born nearly 15 years after the first Beetlejuice hit theatres, revealed that she didn’t even watch the original until she was nine years old. But, the timing couldn’t have been better—Burton offered Ortega the role while they were working together on the second season of the Netflix hit Wednesday.

“It was surreal,” Ortega shared, adding how much she learned from working alongside Ryder and O’Hara, calling the latter a “comedy legend.”

The sequel took over 30 years to come together, so it might be a while before fans start speculating about a third instalment. However, Ryder, O’Hara, and Ortega have all said they would be open to returning if Tim Burton has any more tricks up his sleeve. Who knows? A Beetlejuice trilogy might just be in our future.

With Beetlejuice Beetlejuice crushing the box office, it’s clear that fans were more than ready for the return of this hauntingly fun franchise. Maybe next time, we won’t have to wait another 36 years!