# Beetlejuice (franchise)
**Beetlejuice** is a dark-comedy franchise built on the afterlife misadventures of [Beetlejuice](https://www.edgepedia.org/beetlejuice), originating with [Tim Burton](https://www.edgepedia.org/tim-burton)'s 1988 horror-comedy film *Beetlejuice* and since expanded into an animated television series (1989–1991), a stage musical that premiered in 2018, and the 2024 theatrical sequel *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice*. The brand is owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment, which holds the IP rights and licenses it to more than 400 global licensees.[1](https://www.beetlejuicemovie.com/) • [2](https://ipo.blog.gov.uk/2024/10/17/i-dare-you-to-say-ip-a-third-time/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Origin | *Beetlejuice* (1988), directed by Tim Burton, based on characters created by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson[1](https://www.beetlejuicemovie.com/) |
| Rights holder | Warner Bros. Entertainment owns the IP rights for the Beetlejuice brand[2](https://ipo.blog.gov.uk/2024/10/17/i-dare-you-to-say-ip-a-third-time/) |
| Works | 1988 film; animated series (1989–1991, 94 episodes); stage musical (premiered 2018); 2024 sequel *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice*[2](https://ipo.blog.gov.uk/2024/10/17/i-dare-you-to-say-ip-a-third-time/) • [3](https://collider.com/beetlejuice-movies-show-video-games/) • [4](https://guides.justwatch.com/us/beetlejuice-in-order) |
| 1988 box office | $73,707,461 in North America against a $15 million budget; 10th-highest-grossing film of 1988[5](https://warnerbros.fandom.com/wiki/Beetlejuice) |
| Musical honors | Eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, lost to *Hadestown*[3](https://collider.com/beetlejuice-movies-show-video-games/) |
| Sequel release | *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice* opened in US theaters and IMAX on September 6, 2024, internationally from September 4, 2024, distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures[1](https://www.beetlejuicemovie.com/) |
| Licensing scale | Over 400 global licensees, from makeup and Lego sets to a limited-edition Fanta Beetlejuice flavor[2](https://ipo.blog.gov.uk/2024/10/17/i-dare-you-to-say-ip-a-third-time/) |
## The original film (1988)
The franchise began with *Beetlejuice*, released in the United States on April 1, 1988. It earned $8,030,897 in its opening weekend and grossed $73,707,461 in North America, recouping its $15 million budget and ranking as the 10th-highest-grossing film of 1988.[5](https://warnerbros.fandom.com/wiki/Beetlejuice) The film holds an 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 42 reviews and a Metacritic average of 67 from 13 reviews.[5](https://warnerbros.fandom.com/wiki/Beetlejuice)
## Animated series (1989–1991)
An animated *Beetlejuice* series ran for three seasons on ABC before a final season aired on [Fox Kids](https://www.edgepedia.org/fox-kids) in 1991, with Tim Burton as executive producer.[3](https://collider.com/beetlejuice-movies-show-video-games/) • [5](https://warnerbros.fandom.com/wiki/Beetlejuice) The series ran from September 9, 1989 to December 6, 1991, with the last season airing on Fox.[3](https://collider.com/beetlejuice-movies-show-video-games/) • [5](https://warnerbros.fandom.com/wiki/Beetlejuice)
The show produced 94 episodes and reversed the film's dynamic: Beetlejuice (voiced by Stephen Ouimette) and Lydia (voiced by [Alyson Court](https://www.edgepedia.org/alyson-court)) are friends who share adventures in both the real world and the spirit world, in contrast to the film's antagonistic framing.[4](https://guides.justwatch.com/us/beetlejuice-in-order) The setting moved between the "mortal world" of Peaceful Pines and the "Neitherworld," and the writing leaned away from horror toward the characters' interpersonal relationships.[3](https://collider.com/beetlejuice-movies-show-video-games/) Warner Bros. distributes the run as *Beetlejuice: The Complete Series* on disc and digital, cataloged under comedy and horror.[6](https://www.warnerbros.com/tv/beetlejuice-complete-series) In German-speaking markets the series is titled „Beetlejuice – Ein außergewöhnlicher Geist“ and dated 1989–1991.[7](https://www.kino.de/artikel/beetlejuice-reihenfolge-so-schaut-ihr-das-franchise-richtig--hp3fjpr3p8)
## Stage musical (premiered 2018)
The stage adaptation premiered on Washington, D.C. stages in 2018, starring [Alex Brightman](https://www.edgepedia.org/alex-brightman) as the title ghost, with a story by Scott Brown and Anthony King and lyrics from [Eddie Perfect](https://www.edgepedia.org/eddie-perfect).[3](https://collider.com/beetlejuice-movies-show-video-games/) It reached Broadway in 2019 and earned eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, which it lost to *Hadestown*.[3](https://collider.com/beetlejuice-movies-show-video-games/) The musical added new characters absent from Burton's film while honoring the original's practical-effects-driven makeup and creature design, and it prompted tours in the United States, South Korea, and Brazil.[3](https://collider.com/beetlejuice-movies-show-video-games/)
## Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) and what has changed since 2023
The major development since late 2023 is the sequel. *Beetlejuice Beetlejuice* reunites director Tim Burton with star [Michael Keaton](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-keaton) as the official follow-up to the 1988 film.[1](https://www.beetlejuicemovie.com/) Keaton returns alongside [Winona Ryder](https://www.edgepedia.org/winona-ryder) as Lydia Deetz and [Catherine O'Hara](https://www.edgepedia.org/catherine-ohara) as Delia Deetz, joined by Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Jenna Ortega as Astrid, Lydia's daughter, and Willem Dafoe.[1](https://www.beetlejuicemovie.com/) The story follows three generations of the Deetz family returning home to Winter River after an unexpected family tragedy, with Astrid discovering the model town and opening a portal to the Afterlife.[1](https://www.beetlejuicemovie.com/) The screenplay is by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, with story by Gough, Millar, and Seth Grahame-Smith, based on characters created by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson.[1](https://www.beetlejuicemovie.com/)
The film was released only in theaters and IMAX, opening in the United States on September 6, 2024 and internationally beginning September 4, 2024, distributed worldwide by [Warner Bros. Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/warner-bros-pictures).[1](https://www.beetlejuicemovie.com/) It reached German cinemas on September 12, 2024.[7](https://www.kino.de/artikel/beetlejuice-reihenfolge-so-schaut-ihr-das-franchise-richtig--hp3fjpr3p8)
The sequel ended a wait of more than three decades. A follow-up sat in development hell for over thirty years due to disagreements about the direction of the story, and at one point a sequel that would have taken the character to Hawaii was considered.[3](https://collider.com/beetlejuice-movies-show-video-games/)
## Franchise footprint and sibling properties
Warner Bros. has built the brand into a broad licensing operation with over 400 global licensees, covering products from makeup and Lego sets to a limited-edition Fanta Beetlejuice flavor, alongside the animated series, stage musical, video games, and the 2024 sequel.[2](https://ipo.blog.gov.uk/2024/10/17/i-dare-you-to-say-ip-a-third-time/) The franchise also crosses into other studios' properties: Alex Brightman returned to voice Beetlejuice in the *Teen Titans Go!* episode "The Ghost With The Most" in 2020.[3](https://collider.com/beetlejuice-movies-show-video-games/)
Collider groups *Beetlejuice* with live-action hits such as *Ghostbusters*, *Back to the Future*, *Jumanji*, *The Mighty Ducks*, and *Spaceballs* that inspired animated programs taking on lives of their own.[3](https://collider.com/beetlejuice-movies-show-video-games/)
## References
1. [Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – Official Movie Site](https://www.beetlejuicemovie.com/)
2. [I dare you to say IP a third time – Intellectual Property Office blog](https://ipo.blog.gov.uk/2024/10/17/i-dare-you-to-say-ip-a-third-time/)
3. [All the Ways 'Beetlejuice' Has Lived on Beyond the Original Movie, Collider](https://collider.com/beetlejuice-movies-show-video-games/)
4. [Where to Watch Every Beetlejuice Movie and TV Show Online, JustWatch](https://guides.justwatch.com/us/beetlejuice-in-order)
5. [Beetlejuice, Warner Bros. Fandom wiki](https://warnerbros.fandom.com/wiki/Beetlejuice)
6. [WarnerBros.com – Beetlejuice: The Complete Series](https://www.warnerbros.com/tv/beetlejuice-complete-series)
7. [„Beetlejuice“-Reihenfolge: So schaut ihr das Franchise richtig, Kino.de](https://www.kino.de/artikel/beetlejuice-reihenfolge-so-schaut-ihr-das-franchise-richtig--hp3fjpr3p8)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Fictional worlds and series reference apparatus › Fictional universes, characters, and attribute reference › Fictional universe concepts, canon, and continuity*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license