Image: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Warner Bros. Pictures
Macro trends, demand for the cast, and pre-release demand for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” all point to this movie having the potential to be one of the top releases of the year. In the weeks leading up to the film’s premiere on September 6th, pre-release demand for the movie, which is a good measure of audience excitement for a title before it is actually released, is tracking at a similar level to where “Deadpool & Wolverine” was ahead of its release. That film has gone on to set numerous box office records so far. In the three weeks ahead of its premiere, demand for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has remained above demand for “A Quiet Place: Day One,” another of this year’s box office successes. Looking at the relative demand in the lead-up to these movies can help give a good idea for the range of outcomes we expect for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”
In another positive sign for the movie’s prospects, demand is not only high for the film itself but also for the talent acting in it. Demand for the cast of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” has been trending up over the past month leading up to the premiere. However, the biggest jump in audience demand has been for Winona Ryder, followed by Jenna Ortega. The fact that audiences are most excited by these two actresses is a good sign for the movie’s potential to draw in new audiences rather than just fans of the original movie.
While Winona Ryder is reprising her role as Lydia Deetz from the original film, in the 36 years since that movie premiered she has become better known to younger audiences as Joyce Beyers from “Stranger Things.” Jenna Ortega has significantly grown her fanbase over the past few years, notably as the lead in Netflix’s “Wednesday” and in the “Scream” horror franchise. Unsurprisingly, Gen Z makes up the largest share of Ortega’s fanbase (44.3%) but Winona Ryder also has a significant following among the youngest generation (38.5%), underscoring how both actresses can pull in younger audiences to the “Beetlejuice” franchise.
Several broader trends for this type of content also bode well for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” First, horror movies overall have a higher average demand than movies in other genres. Specifically within the horror genre, horror-comedies like “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” have higher demand on average. Finally, as we’ve previously noted, September is one of the months where new releases of horror and horror-adjacent movies tend to have the highest average demand. This is outside the crowded and competitive month of October for this genre. So in addition to a strong casting line-up and positive genre trends, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is coming to theaters at just the right time.
