Winona Ryder Is Certainly Earning More on 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' Than She Did on the Original

Actress Winona Ryder – who was just 15 years old when she starred in the original Beetlejuice (1988) – is reprising her role as Lydia Deetz in the sequel. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice premieres in theaters Sept. 6. (Does this leave room for a Beetlejuice x3 in the future?).

In the new film, an adult Lydia is much the same as we remember. She works as a TV host who talks to ghosts, and decades later she hasn’t forgotten her encounter with Beetlejuice. She also has a daughter (played by Jenna Ortega) who doesn’t believe in ghosts at all.

In an interview with Empire, Ryder discussed her feelings about the sequel. “I struggle to find the words,” she said. “It’s just one of the most special experiences that I’ve ever had. The fact that we’re coming back to it, it’s… It’s beyond.”

Related: Catherine O'Hara Reveals How She Landed Original 'Beetlejuice' Role Without an Audition

For her return to the franchise, Ryder is rumored to have made millions. Here’s a look at her potential Beetlejuice Beetlejuice salary along with her total net worth.

How did Winona Ryder get her start?

Winona Ryder, born Winona Laura Horowitz, got her acting start pretty early. After her family moved to Petaluma, California when she was 10, she began taking acting classes at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.

She made her film debut in Lucas (1986), but rose to prominence a few years later with performances in Beetlejuice and Heathers. She was a teenager at the time and quickly built a reputation for playing quirky, alternative characters.

Speaking with Esquire UK in late August, Ryder reflected on her young success; which came with an obsessed media that was particularly interested in her love life. “There was baggage,” she said. “Trying to convince someone to ignore the noise around me was tough. I saw it in their eyes. I lost a lot of parts because of that.”

What is Winona Ryder’s net worth in 2024?

Winona Ryder has an estimated net worth of $18 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Other sources, such as Market Realist, estimate her net worth as high as $30 million.

Ryder has starred in a number of successful films that contribute to her substantial net worth. She’s also found success in television as the character Joyce Byers on Netflix’s Stranger Things (2016-2025).

Related: Tim Burton Makes Red Carpet Debut With Girlfriend Monica Bellucci in Rome

What movies has Winona Ryder starred in?

Ryder’s film career took off in the late ‘80s to early ‘90s, before she was even an adult. She appeared in:

• Lucas (1986)

• Square Dance (1987)

• Beetlejuice (1988)

• 1969 (1988)

• Heathers (1989)

• Great Balls of Fire! (1989)

• Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990)

• Edward Scissorhands (1990)

• Mermaids (1990)

• Night on Earth (1991)

• Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

• The Age of Innocence (1993)

• The House of the Spirits (1993)

• Reality Bites (1994)

• Little Women (1994)

• How to Make an American Quilt (1995)

• Boys (1996)

• Looking for Richard (1996)

• The Crucible (1996)

• Alien Resurrection (1997)

• Celebrity (1998)

• Girl, Interrupted (1999)

• Being John Malkovich (1999)

• Autumn in New York (2000)

• Lost Souls (2000)

• Zoolander (2001)

• Mr. Deeds (2002)

• S1m0ne (2002)

After this extended period of success, a shoplifting scandal in 2001 rocked her career and caused Ryder to take a break from acting. She returned in 2006 with Richard Linklater’s A Scanner Darkly, but afterward stayed mostly under the radar, electing to take smaller roles or act in lower-budget independent films.

What did Winona Ryder get paid for Stranger Things?

Ryder had a career comeback when Netflix’s Stranger Things premiered its first season in 2016. In it she stars as Joyce Byers, the mom of a boy who mysteriously goes missing. Along with Stranger Things’ massive success, Ryder’s star power rose again.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ryder earned $100,000 per episode for the first two seasons of Stranger Things. This totaled $1.7 million over 17 episodes. For the third season, she made $350,000 per episode, or just under $3 million for eight episodes. She likely earned the same for the fourth season which would’ve netted her a $3.15 million paycheck.

In the upcoming season 5, Ryder reportedly earned $9.5 million for eight episodes. This works out to about $1.19 million per episode – an impressive salary to mark the end of one of Netflix’s most popular shows. All in all, over five seasons of Stranger Things Ryder was paid more than $17 million.

What did Winona Ryder get paid for Beetlejuice?

Mum’s the word on Winona Ryder’s salary for 1988’s Beetlejuice. Cast salaries weren’t as widely reported back then, and some actors are just quieter about their money. Plus, Ryder would’ve only been 15 to 16 years old at the time.

It’s likely she wasn’t commanding a very large paycheck, given that Beetlejuice was really her breakout role and Michael Keaton and Alec Baldwin were the known draws to the movie. But the film itself was very commercially successful. It had a budget of $15 million and grossed nearly $75 million, and still has a cult following all these years later.

How much is Winona Ryder getting paid for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice?

It hasn’t been confirmed what Ryder made for her work in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024). One source, Market Realist, speculates that Ryder typically earns about $5 million per movie.

This is backed up by a Showbiz Galore report saying that the actress may have earned $5 million for the Beetlejuice sequel. According to the report, Ryder’s salary was second only to Michael Keaton’s, who is rumored to have made $10 million for his return as the titular Beetlejuice.

Related: Fans Praise Jenna Ortega as She Recreates ‘Iconic’ Winona Ryder Look From ‘Beetlejuice’

Has Winona Ryder won an Oscar?

Though Ryder absolutely dominated the ‘90s with stellar performances, she didn’t win any Oscars. However, she was nominated twice. In 1994 she received a nod for Best Supporting Actress in The Age of Innocence. The following year, she got a Best Actress nom for her work in Little Women. (Period pieces were definitely in in the ‘90s – but when aren’t they?).

The Academy Award in ‘94 went to Anna Paquin – then, just 11 years old – for her supporting role in The Piano. 1995’s Best Actress went to Jessica Lange for Blue Sky.

Next, 'Stranger Things' Finally Resumes Filming: Everything to Know About Season 5