Thanks to “Scream,” “X,” “Wednesday,” and “Scream VI,” Jenna Ortega is now the scream queen of Hollywood’s new generation. But what else could bolster her reputation as a leading lady in the horror world? How about another team-up with Tim Burton? THR reports that the actress has her eyes on “Beetlejuice 2,” Burton’s sequel that comes 35 years after the original.
If Ortega signs on, she’d join Michael Keaton, who reprises his iconic role from the 1988 film. Production on “Beetlejuice 2” starts in late May or early June in London, so if Ortega wants in, she better decide fast. Sources tell THR that Ortega will play the daughter of Winona Ryder‘s Lydia from the original film.
Burton made “Beetlejuice” right before “Batman” in the late ’80s, and his sophomore directing effort raked in about $75 million at the box office on a $15 million budget. The film follows a recently deceased couple who, as ghosts haunting their old house, befriend Ryder’s Lydia and try to fend off Keaton’s titular bio-exorcist that Lydia’s parents hire to get rid of their ghost problem. Burton has had a sequel in mind to the 1988 film for decades now, but an iteration never stuck until recently.
As for Ortega, another role with Burton would be a dream come true. She’s on the record for saying that she used to have “consistent dreams” about “Beetlejuice” as a child. And starring in Burton’s sequel feels right in her wheelhouse after her string of horror-tinged projects recently. Ortega got her start with supporting roles on TV shows like “Janes The Virgin,” “You,” and “Yes Day,” but broke out last year with Ti West‘s “X” and “Scream.” Now with “Scream VI” looking to have the franchise’s biggest opening over, Ortega may indeed be the new queen of horror.
It doesn’t hurt that Ortega loved working with Burton, too. The actress gushed over working with the director on “Wednesday” to THR before its debut on Netflix. “It’s been quite an insane experience,” said Ortega. “I’ve been lucky enough to get the opportunity to work with an iconic director who just so happens to be one of the sweetest directors I’ve worked with, and also the most detail-oriented.”
Since Ortega hosts “Saturday Night Live” this weekend, fans maybe should not expect a definitive answer about “Beetlejuice 2” until next week. But if Ortega and Burton team up again, expect her Hollywood star to shine even more this year than it did in 2022.
