After the huge success of Netflix Wednesday series, Jenna Ortega has officially found her next high-profile project with gothic filmmaker Tim Burton in the form of the upcoming Beetlejuice 2. According to The Hollywood ReporterThe rising young star is currently in negotiations for the lead role in the horror comedy sequel, with Michael Keaton expected to reprise his iconic titular role.
The outlet’s sources noted that Ortega is reportedly playing the daughter of Lydia, a character famously portrayed by Winona Ryder in the 1988 film. Warner Bros.
Before the return of Wednesday Addams in the highly anticipated second season of the upcoming Netflix comedy, audiences can already see Ortega in Paramount Pictures’ Scream VI which is now playing in theaters. In the slasher sequel, the 20-year-old rising actress reprises her role as Tara Carpenter, one of the teenage survivors of the Woodsboro Legacy murders from the 2022 film.
Beetlejuice 2 will be directed by Tim Burton again. This will mark Burton’s feature directorial comeback in four years after directing live-action at Disney Dumb. The project has been in development for over three decades now, with Burton originally planning to set the sequel in Hawaii. Further details about the new design for the latest iteration of the project are still under wraps.
Beetlejuice starring Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Alec Baldwin, and Geena Davis. The film centers on a deceased couple who call upon the services of a hideous and cunning poltergeist from the Netherworld to terrorize the new residents of their former home. Since its inception, it has garnered both critical and commercial success with a box office gross of over $73 million. Due to its success and influence in pop culture, it went on to produce an animated series, video games, and a stage musical.