Tim Burton and Michael Keaton’s $441M Horror Hit Officially Ends a 35-Year Film Debate

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Tim Burton and Michael Keaton’s 1M Horror Hit Officially Ends a 35-Year Film Debate

Tim Burton and Michael Keaton have another blockbuster on their hands with Beetle juicewhich has just broken an impressive record held by its first Batman film over the last 35 years. Although both were still emerging in the industry in the mid-80s, Tim Burton and Michael Keaton really came together through the successes of Beetle juice (1988) and Batman (1989), both of which saw Keaton play the titular roles. These two films are still considered one of the greatest entries in each man’s filmography, but There has long been a debate about what is the best collaboration.

Arriving 36 years after the original cult horror comedy, Michael Keaton returns in the cast of Beetlejuice 2 as the mischievous Betelgeuse, marking his fifth film collaboration with Burton. The duo’s previous projects together include Beetle juice (1988), Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), and Dumbo (2019), the latter of which famously failed at the box office and received mixed reviews. Keaton and Burton Batman the duology therefore served as his last great public and critical success, but Beetlejuice 2 has now arrived to remind everyone which icon still has the most “juice” after almost four decades.

Beetlejuice 2 has officially surpassed Batman (1989) at the box office to become Tim Burton and Michael Keaton’s highest-grossing film

Beetlejuice 2 grossed over $441.7 million at the box office

Over the past 36 years and counting, Michael Keaton and Tim Burton’s film collaborations have accumulated a total of more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office. For 35 years, the record for the duo’s highest-grossing collaboration was held by 1989 Batmanwhich grossed approximately US$411.6 million at the box office (via Mojo Box Office). That number has now finally been surpassed by Beetlejuice 2 in 2024, which has grossed over $441.7 million worldwide so far. Considering Beetlejuice 2 is still in theaters, that number will continue to grow and extend its lead throughout Batman (1989).

Tim Burton only directed two sequels to his own films throughout his entire career, Batman Returns (1992) and Beetlejuice 2 (2024). Strangely enough, both sequels followed very different trajectories following their original films. Batman Returns ended up earning just $266.9 million at the box office compared to the 1989 film’s $411.6 million, while Beetlejuice 2 It far surpassed the $74.8 million of the 1988 original, with its $441.7 million and counting. About that, Batman Returns exceeded the critical acclaim of the 1989 film, the reverse being true for Beetlejuice 2 (through Rotten tomatoes).

Tim Burton and Michael Keaton film

Worldwide box office

Rotten Tomatoes score

Beetle juice (1988)

US$74.8 million

83%

Batman (1989)

US$411.6 million

77%

Batman Returns (1992)

US$266.9 million

82%

Dumbo (2019)

US$353.4 million

46%

Beetle juice (2024)

$441.7 million (and counting)

77%

So far, Every Tim Burton and Michael Keaton film has been a critical and commercial success except Dumbo. Beetlejuice 2 was partially seen as an opportunity for Burton to redeem his cinematic success after DumboBurton’s Failure, a film that almost caused Burton to retire from making films and for which Keaton expressed disappointment in his own performance. Fortunately, the critical and box office success of Beetlejuice 2 proves that Burton and Keaton can still make movie magic after 36 years of working together – and even reuniting to steal records from their first classic collaborations.

After more than 30 years, the return of Michael Keaton’s Betelgeuse surpasses the return of Batman

Beetlejuice 2 Was a Better 80s Character Return Than The Flash


Michael Keaton returning as Batman in The Flash

Interestingly, Michael Keaton would end up returning to his two most famous Tim Burton film roles of the 1980s in the 2020s, with the two follow-ups being released two years apart. Before returning as the “Ghost with More” in Beetlejuice 2, Michael Keaton reprized his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Warner Bros. 2023 superhero movie The Flash. However, the big difference between the 2020 return of Keaton’s Batman and the 2020 return of Betelgeuse is that only one of the films has Tim Burton back in the director’s chair.

Michael Keaton’s return as Bruce Wayne was heavily promoted in the film’s marketing. The Flashand he was widely praised as one of the greatest aspects of the 2023 film. The Flash it received moderately positive reviews from critics (maintaining a 63% score on Rotten Tomatoes) and unfortunately only earned $271.4 million at the box office against an estimated budget of $200 million. Although there were many factors that influenced this result, Keaton’s Batman return in 2023 ultimately didn’t live up to the success of his outings as the character in Burton’s films.

About that, Keaton Beetle juice the accompaniment was authentic and lived up to the tone and success of the 1988 original. Of course, this sequel brings Tim Burton back into the director’s chair, underscoring how much more effective these characters are on screen when they have Keaton and Burton’s vision and creative collaboration together. If Tim Burton and Michael Keaton made a third Batman movie together, his return to Bruce Wayne would be very different, and – if Beetlejuice 2 is any indication – it will potentially yield a film as successful as the first two.

Beetlejuice 2 Proves Betelgeuse Is Michael Keaton’s Best Tim Burton Character

Betelgeuse is defined exclusively by Keaton and Burton

Michael Keaton returns perfectly to the character of Betelgeuse in Beetlejuice 2even though he hasn’t used that hair, makeup and voice in over 30 years. Although Keaton only has 17 minutes of screen time in Beetlejuice 2his performance is still as memorable, hilarious, and chaotic as the original film. There is no Beetlejuice 2 no Michael Keaton’s Betelgeuse, and its lauded return is a reminder that the franchise’s enduring popularity rests in large part on the success of its improvised, over-the-top performance in Tim Burton’s fantastical, gothic aesthetic.

No matter how good Michael Keaton was as Batman in Tim Burton’s 1989 and 1992 films, they are not universally considered that character’s defining actor and director.

Bruce Wayne is in the running for one of the greatest fictional characters of all time, but unlike Beteleguse, Batman doesn’t necessarily belong to Michael Keaton and Tim Burton. From them Batman The collaborations provide incredible and unique takes on that classic character and world, which revolutionized superhero films and changed the thematic and stylistic possibilities of this genre in Hollywood. But no matter how good Michael Keaton was as Batman in Tim Burton’s 1989 and 1992 films, they are not universally considered that character’s defining actor and director, especially after The Dark Knight trilogy.

Meanwhile, Michael Keaton and Tim Burton are the DNA of Betelgeuse. Keaton’s performance and energy with Burton’s gothic style and approach are what make Betelgeuse the beloved figure that he is. Batman may work with a different actor and director behind him, but that’s not the case with Betelgeuse. It was the combination of Keaton and Burton that made Beetle juice an unexpected hit in 1988, and it was her return – alongside Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara, of course – and her distinctive, personalized filmmaking approach that led to Beetle juice becoming a huge box office success and critical success so many years later.

Sources: Mojo Box Office, Rotten tomatoes

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