Beetlejuice Beetlejuice final trailer released as Roblox launches virtual box office that sells movie tickets to local theaters

Can you feel that? It’s the sensation of games like Fortnite and Roblox tightening their iron grip on your wallet as the “forever game” arena expands to sell movie tickets! Check this out. Warner Bros., Roblox, and Fandango are joining forces to launch an in-game virtual box office in Roblox, with Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as the game’s first theatrical title to light the fuse. The final trailer for the film has also been unveiled and can be seen in the embed above.

Today, Roblox users ages 13 and up in the United States can purchase authentic movie tickets to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, thanks to the game’s “Escape the Afterlife” experience.

“As visitors enter [Beetlejuice] Escape the Afterlife on Roblox, they are immediately transported to The Afterlife Lobby—a spooky world that brings together familiar places from the original Beetlejuice movie with new scenes and experiences from the highly-anticipated sequel,” according to Roblox. “From the lobby, fans can enter one of three immersive worlds, where they need to escape ghouls and rescue beloved characters like Delia and Lydia, and new characters like Astrid. They will visit The Waiting Room, see the Shrinkers (aka Shrunken Head Guy) and his friends, and even explore Adam’s model of Winter River, Connecticut during their rescue journeys.”

While exploring Roblox‘s “Escape the Afterlife” experience, players “can walk up and make a ticket purchase right within the experience to see the movie.” In addition to purchasing tickets to a local theater, players can grab an exclusive avatar of the Ghost With the Most to use in the game.

“We are always looking to engage audiences and amplify our reach in new and exciting ways; this first-of-its-kind collaboration with Roblox and Fandango for ‘Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice’ allows for just that,” Warner Bros. executive vice president of global digital marketing Cameron Curtis said. “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. And we are thrilled to be the first studio to test ticketing on the platform.”

What’s that old saying? You’ve got to meet the people where they are. In the case of kids able to fill seats for a PG-13 movie, they’re playing games like Roblox and Fortnite. I’m interested to see if Roblox’s “Escape the Afterlife” experience moves the needle for ticket sales and if this is the beginning of a more significant trend within the gaming arena. If film studios are willing to go the extra mile, gamers could look forward to more environments, skins, emotes, and characters making their way into the games they play.

What do you think about Roblox entering the movie ticket market? Do you think the game’s Beetlejuice promotion is a stroke of genius? Does Gen Alpha even know who Beetlejuice is? We’ll find out.

If you don’t plan to play Roblox to secure Beetlejuice Beetlejuice movie tickets, you can pre-order them the old-fashioned way through Fandango! Pre-orders go live today for the highly-anticipated sequel opening in theaters on September 6, 2024.