Beetlejuice
Beetlejuicesoriginal title would have caused a big sequel problem for Tim Burton if it had gone into production.Beetlejuicewas released in 1988 and has since become a Tim Burton classic, alongside other films likeThe Nightmare Before ChristmasandEdward Scissorhands.
The movie followsBeetlejuiceas he torments the Deetz familyin various ways, and offers some iconic scenes, such as the Banana Song dance scene.
Since its release,Beetlejuicehas grossed $74.8 million worldwideand became such a huge part of popular culture that a sequel was released an astonishing 35 years after the original Burton movie.
The sequel met similar success, asBeetlejuice Beetlejuicebroke box office records in its opening weekend, reprising the characters from the original film in a new adventure following Lydia Deetzs daughter, Astrid.
While there are somedetails inBeetlejuicewhich do not make sense, the movie and subsequent sequel have been a major hit worldwide, blending practical effects, such as stop-motion, and reality with humor and horror.
However,Beetlejuiceoriginally had a much different title proposed,which would have affected the sequels great title opportunity, and most likely have impacted its success, making it a much different film.
Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury.
Beetlejuice 2’s Great Title Would’ve Been Impossible If Warner Bros.' Original Plan Had Stuck
House Ghosts 2 Doesn’t Have The Same Ring To It
Originally,Beetlejuicewas going to be called something else by Warner Bros. which would have made the sequels great title impossible.Warner Bros. wanted to changeBeetlejuicestitleto House Ghostsbecause they were skeptical that a movie called Beetlejuice would be a hit.
The title doesnt evoke the best imagery out of context and bares little resemblance to the characters actual name, Betelgeuse, hence whythe company wanted to changeBeetlejuiceto something more marketable.
However, if the movie was called House Ghosts, then the sequel would have been more generic like House Ghosts 2 instead ofBeetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular “bio-exorcist”, an obnoxious spirit who specializes in driving living occupants out of homes. When Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die suddenly, they pass into the spirit realm, and must stay in their home. However, in the living world, the Deetz family purchases the house and moves in, prompting the Maitlands to enlist the help of Beetlejuice to drive them away.
theBeetlejuice Beetlejuicetitle is definitely much better than if Warner Bros. had committed to their proposed House Ghosts title, as that sequel title would be much less inspired
Beetlejuicessequel title is brilliant, as it plays on the summoning ritualseen in the original movie of saying the characters name three times.
In that respect,Beetlejuice Beetlejuicestitle sets up the perfect trilogy idea, as the third could be the full incantation (Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice).
Even if a third movie was not explored, the sequels title is still great, and theBeetlejuice Beetlejuicetitle is definitely much better than if Warner Bros. had committed to their proposed House Ghosts title, as that sequel title would be much less inspired, and the iconic horror franchise may have flopped otherwise.
The “Beetlejuice” Title Is A Major Reason Why Tim Burton’s Movie Is So Iconic
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Cast
Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice stars Michael Keaton as the titular “bio-exorcist”, an obnoxious spirit who specializes in driving living occupants out of homes.
When Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam Maitland (Alec Baldwin) die suddenly, they pass into the spirit realm, and must stay in their home.
However, in the living world, the Deetz family purchases the house and moves in, prompting the Maitlands to enlist the help of Beetlejuice to drive them away.
