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CNN
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“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 classic, has been a smash hit, grossing an estimated $110 million in U.S. ticket sales during its opening weekend, according to Comscore data.

The “outstanding domestic opening” is the second-highest ever for a film in September, surpassed only by “It,” which grossed $123 million in its first weekend in 2017, Boxoffice Pro reported Sunday.

“The cross-generational audience for the new ‘Beetlejuice’ saw kids and adults dress up for the show, making it an event,” according to the official release from the National Association of Theatre Owners. “It’s that rare sequel that felt like a continuation, not a remake of the original, while still giving audiences what they wanted.”

Worldwide, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” starring Jenna Ortega, Winona Ryder and Michael Keaton, grossed an estimated $145.4 million over the weekend, according to Comscore.

“Ortega sold this new film to the under-25s and emerges as Tim Burton’s new muse à la Johnny Depp,” according to Boxoffice Pro.

Ortega, who plays Astrid, the daughter of Ryder’s character Lydia Deetz, wasn’t born until nearly 15 years after the first “Beetlejuice” came out, and she didn’t see the original film until she was about 9 years old.

“Jenna had to be born, become an actress and work with Tim,” Catherine O’Hara, who reprises her role as Delia Deetz in the new film, said in a recent interview with CNN, explaining why it took so long for the sequel to “get going.”

Ortega told CNN that Burton offered her the role of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” while they were working together on the second season of the Netflix hit series “Wednesday,” which is based on another dark and macabre franchise, “The Addams Family.”

The film was released by Warner Bros., which is owned by CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery.