- Beetlejuice is making a return to the big screen, but also a debut on Roblox
- Players will be able to but cinema tickets within Roblox for the first time, provided they’re in the US
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Tim Burton’s 1988 comedy horror film Beetlejuice is making a return to the big screen in 2024 in the form of sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but the enduring franchise (how exactly did that happen?) is making its way to smaller screens too – in the form of a virtual experience in Roblox.
Developer Sawhorse has teamed up with Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group to launch Beetlejuice: Escape the Afterlife on the popular platform, known for its many metaverse experiences and gargantuan playerbase of 79.5 million daily active users.
Building a franchise
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is far from the first film to get an in-game appearance promoting its launch – in fact part of a broader trend in recent years, following the likes of Barbie into the metaverse, even Wonka landed a Word With Friends 2 promo last year too.
But with this latest experience, launching today, August 6th, Roblox players in the US can actually buy tickets to the movie through an integrated virtual Fandango box office – a first for the platform and directly prompting players to pay up in advance, then go to the cinema when Burton’s latest movie releases next month.
Though tickets can only be bought in the US at launch, a global rollout may follow.
“We are always looking to engage audiences and amplify our reach in new and exciting ways,” said Warner Bros executive VP of marketing Cameron Curtis.
“By leveraging the vast Roblox creator community, we are not only able to connect with existing Beetlejuice fans, but also have the opportunity to reach new audiences who are being introduced to him for the first time.”
Roblox VP of global partnerships Stephanie Latham added: “We are thrilled to bring the cultural phenomenon of Beetlejuice to Roblox through this collaboration. As we continue to test commerce, offering an opportunity to purchase tickets within the movie-inspired immersive environment is a way to explore a new consumer category and further engage users who are looking to purchase different things.”
And big-name actresses Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega promoting the Roblox platform only adds to the growing list of star power talking video games – bolstering the multimedia boom and joining the likes of Chris Hemsworth and Kit Harrington.
