Actress Jenna Ortega has been receiving a ton of buzz as of late due to her performance as Wednesday Addams in the hit Netflix series “Wednesday,” which is executive produced by Tim Burton, who also directs multiple episodes of the first season. Now, it looks like Ortega will reunite with Burton on another famous IP. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ortega is currently “circling” the lead role of Burton’s long-gestating “Beetlejuice” sequel.
Jenna Ortega Could Potentially Star In ‘Beetlejuice 2’
Burton has been looking to make a sequel to his classic horror-comedy for quite some time now. The “Batman” filmmaker is expected to return behind the camera and direct the sequel, with Michael Keaton returning to his iconic role of the wacky, irreverent bio-exorcist, Beetlejuice.
THR notes that Ortega’s role would be the daughter of Lydia Deetz, who was portrayed by Winona Ryder in the 1988 film. The project is looking to start production in late May or early June in London. The budget for the film has not been set, which has reportedly been causing a back-and-forth between sides.
Ortega appears to be hotly in demand at the moment, since breaking out in last year’s “Scream” sequel. She also appeared in the critically acclaimed horror film, “X,” and of course, Netflix’s “Wednesday.” Her latest film is “Scream VI,” which debuts on Friday, March 10, where she reprises her role as Tara Carpenter for the slasher-horror franchise. The film will likely have another big box office opening for the franchise, and it’s expected to bring in the biggest box office opening in the franchise’s history.
The original “Beetlejuice” also starred Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jordan, and Catherine O’Hara. The film was a success. It later led to Keaton and Burton working again for the 1989 “Batman” movie, which was a global smash hit. Burton has been looking to get a sequel to “Beetlejuice” off the ground for a while, with multiple writers taking a stab at the script.
Interestingly enough, Keaton is also reprising his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne in this summer’s “The Flash” movie, which opens in June. It will be Keaton’s first performance as the iconic DC comic book superhero since “Batman Returns,” released in 1992, which was also directed by Burton.
If Ortega joins the cast, it makes a lot of sense considering her popular and buzz-worthy performance in “Wednesday.” The first season of the show was a huge hit with viewers. As reported by The Blast, “Wednesday” in December drew the second-largest viewership ever on Nielsen’s streaming chart. Last November, the show became the third-ranked most-watched English-language show in Netflix history.
The amazing viewership series paid off for the series. It received a quick renewal from Netflix in January, less than two months after it debuted on the streamer.
The fifth “Scream” movie was also a big hit for Ortega. The film earned $81 million at the domestic box office and $137 million worldwide. The film also did well with critics, scoring 76% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Burton’s “Beetlejuice 2” does not yet have a release date, but it appears to be in an active state of pre-production. Also, Warner Bros. Discovery has not yet confirmed Ortega’s casting.
