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The ‘Beetlejuice’ Boomerang

Not all legacy sequels work out, but ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ had a number of factors guiding its success—multigenerational appeal, the return of Tim Burton, and a pair of stars who are nearly as relevant now as they were more than 30 years ago.

beetlejuice beetlejuice
‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ offers a solid lesson in leveraging older I.P. for a new generation and not just catering to a nostalgic fan base. Photo: Parisa Taghizadeh/Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Scott Mendelson
September 10, 2024

The adults who turned up in costume for this weekend’s release of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice weren’t the whole story, much to Warner Bros.’s relief. Instead, the younger audiences, who came via Wednesday or Stranger Things, pushed the domestic box office to $111 million, making the Tim Burton sequel the latest successful example of a multigenerational nostalgia event film. Twenty-four percent of the moviegoers were under 25 years old. As a result, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice offers a solid lesson in leveraging older I.P. for a new generation and not just catering to a nostalgic fan base.