Beetlejuice sequel crushes the box office, Jenna Ortega previews Wednesday season 2

As a seasoned gamer of the silver screen, I can confidently say that the revival of cherished movie series often leaves me with a mix of excitement and trepidation. The original Beetlejuice, released way back in 1988, remains etched in my memory as a quirky, hilarious tale of a mischievous spirit. So, when I heard about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice hitting theaters, I must admit, I was skeptical.

Reviving a well-loved film series many years later can be quite daring. The initial Beetlejuice movie, featuring Michael Keaton as a mischievous spirit causing trouble for a family, was released in 1988. Now, the new sequel titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has hit theaters, with original stars like Keaton and Winona Ryder (Lydia Deetz) reprising their roles, as well as fresh faces such as Jenna Ortega playing Astrid. Will lightning strike twice?

That’s a big yes. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice swept up nearly $150 million from around the world ($111 million domestic) in its opening weekend, already handily beating its budget of $100 million. According to The A.V. Club, it’s the second best opening weekend in director Tim Burton’s career, beaten only by Alice in Wonderland, which made $116 million domestically back in 2010 (let the record show that Alice cost twice what Beetlejuice 2 did, if you’re keeping some kind of score at home).

The film “Beetlejuice” stands out due to its predominant use of practical rather than computer-generated effects, which is rare in a big-budget movie like this nowadays. It’s uncertain if this factor boosted its box office success, but it’s refreshing nonetheless. Here are the top 10 movies for the weekend, listing only their domestic earnings:

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, $110,000,000
Deadpool & Wolverine, $7,200,000
Reagan, $5,231,440
Alien: Romulus, $3,910,000
It Ends With Us, $3,750,000
The Forge, $2,935,000
Twisters, $2,250,000
Blink Twice, $2,114,769
Despicable Me 4, $1,800,000
The Front Room, $1,663,954

The remake of “Beetlejuice” is garnering positive feedback from both critics and viewers, which means it’s not just nostalgia or special effects that make it a good film, but a genuinely decent production. With Jenna Ortega in the cast, I believe the movie has an even stronger appeal. Ortega gained fame as Wednesday Addams on Netflix’s “Wednesday,” where she played a rebellious, gothic character reminiscent of Lydia Deetz from the original “Beetlejuice.” Casting Ortega as Lydia’s daughter in the new movie was spot-on; it added high-profile talent that also made sense for the story.

Jenna Ortega teases multiple cello scenes in Wednesday season 2

I’m thrilled to share that Ortega is set to continue her captivating role in the second season of “Wednesday,” directed by Burton and slated for release on Netflix next year. In a recent conversation with The Direct, she discussed filming several cello scenes for the upcoming season, building upon her performance of “Paint It Black” on the instrument during the series premiere.

We’re shooting the second season right now, so I think it was maybe two weeks ago I pulled a good portion of my hair out for a cello piece. We shot that one-and-done, and then we’re moving on to the next one, so I am currently playing, never said I was good.

Currently, “Beetlejuice” is playing in cinemas, and season 2 of “Wednesday” is upcoming. It appears that Jenna Ortega is having quite a successful run lately, which is fantastic news!

2024-09-09 18:41

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