Beetlejuice 2 Almost Went to Streaming on Max; Tim Burton Refused

Tim Burton‘s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has grossed $264 million and counting at the worldwide box office in two weeks of release, making it a smash success not only for the director and his cast but also for Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy. The duo took over the film studio in 2022 and the long-awaited “Beetlejuice” sequel marked their first Warner Bros. film to be made entirely under their supervision, from development to release.

“Dancing in the hallways, smiles on faces,” De Luca recently told The New York Times about his reaction to the sequel’s success. “There is really nothing better for morale than a hit.”

Burton and the studio had been kicking ideas around for a “Beetlejuice” sequel for more than a decade (it’s been well reported that one axed idea was “Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian”), and according to The Times there was a moment during development when the studio tried to push “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” to be an exclusive streaming film on Max.

“That was never going to work for Tim,” Abdy said about making the “Beetlejuice” sequel for streaming. “You’re talking about a visionary artist whose films demand to be seen on a big screen.”

The big issue between Burton and the studio was that the projected budget for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” at one point was around $147 million, largely due to “star salaries and producer fees.” That’s when De Luca and Abdy approached Burton and said he could make the sequel for an exclusive theatrical release as long as he got the budget down below the $100 million mark. They worked together to greenlight “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” for $99 million, with Burton and cast members Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega and Catherine O’Hara agreeing to less money up front but sizable back end deals that will now surely pay off since the sequel is a box office hit.

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has since topped the domestic box office for two weekend in a row, bringing in just over $50 million in its second weekend of release. The film will soon cross the $200 million mark domestically. Head over to The Times’ website to read more about the film’s development from De Luca and Abdy.