Jenna Ortega is rumoured to be joining the cast of the long-awaited ‘Beetlejuice 2’
New rumours have been circling regarding Jenna Ortega’s involvement in a Beetlejuice sequel, with the actor reportedly receiving an offer to play the daughter of Winona Ryder’s Lydia from the original film.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tim Burton, who directed the 1988 movie, is set to return to the franchise. Additionally, original cast members Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara and Ryder are set to reprise their roles. Production has not yet started, although there is speculation that shooting will begin in London during May or June this year.
The potential project has been in development for years, almost coming to fruition in 2015, when Warner Bros gave Burton the go-ahead. However, the long-awaited sequel was put on the back burner until Plan B, Brad Pitt’s production company, picked it up last year.
When Beetlejuice was released in 1988, it grossed $80million against a $15million budget, suggesting that a sequel would also be a commercial success. Rumours have only heightened the potential for another instalment to become a box-office hit that Ortega has been offered a role in the movie. The young actor has already been dubbed a ‘scream queen’ following her roles in horror movies such as X and the fifth instalment in the Scream franchise. She reprised her role as Tara in Scream VI, which was recently released in the United Kingdom.
However, she shot to stardom after playing the eponymous protagonist in Wednesday, the hit Tim Burton-helmed Netflix series. Thus, she appears keen to continue working with the filmmaker if she secures the deal to star in Beetlejuice 2.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Ortega discussed the opportunity to work with Burton on Wednesday: “It’s been quite an insane experience. 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.”
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