The long-awaited sequel to the cult classic "Beetlejuice" rang up $110 million in opening weekend ticket sales, marking the year's third-best premiere.
"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" trailed only the blockbusters "Inside Out 2" and "Deadpool & Wolverine," the Associated Press reported Sunday.
The ghostly horror comedy also became the second-highest grossing September movie in history, behind 2017's "It."
The box office success, 36 years after the original "Beetlejuice" was released, came despite mixed reviews that include the New York Times calling the sequel "fun but less edgy" and the Guardian judging it "incoherent overall."
"Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" reunites director Tim Burton with cast members Michael Keaton, Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder, who all reprise their original roles.
During its 1988 opening weekend, "Beetlejuice" only earned $8 million, unadjusted for inflation, but went on to sell a total of $77 million worth of tickets in the U.S.
Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros., told AP that the sequel beat the studio's expectations of an opening weekend of $80 million to $90 million.
Goldstein, who confirmed the movie's budget was $100 million, also said it "may get really really long legs" as Halloween approaches.
"There's life in the afterlife," he said. "Many things have to happen simultaneously and all the stars are aligning."
Warner Bros. Discovery stock was trading around $7.20 a share late Monday morning, virtually unchanged from its Friday close.
