Jenna Ortega would play the daughter of Lydia Deetz, played by Winona Ryder in the classic 1988 film.
Rumors are swirling that director Tim Burton and leading star Michael Keaton will return in Beetlejuice Two, a sequel to the acclaimed film about a malicious spirit hired to rid a home of its inhabitants. Though talks of creating a sequel are not new, this is the first time a production date has been announced. We can’t help but wonder if a particular Wednesday actress has anything to do with the film’s sudden green light.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ortega will star alongside Keaton, who brought the devious devil to life over two decades ago. She will play a descendant of Lydia, the spiky-haired goth girl nearly tricked into marrying Beetlejuice in the original film. Production of the sequel will begin in late May or early June.
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Ortega has proven she can play a sassy character who loves black and the supernatural. Her performance as Wednesday Addams in the Tim Burton-directed Netflix series broke streaming records during its first week and has been watched for over one billion hours collectively. Her dance sequence in episode four – which went viral on TikTok – would have fit perfectly in one of the ghost possession scenes from the original Beetlejuice! Never has a casting felt so right.
In addition to Wednesday, Ortega has had a busy month promoting the highly-anticipated slasher film Scream VI and learning her lines for her first time hosting Saturday Night Live.
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Beetlejuice Rises from the Grave
Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones, and Catherine O’Hara all starred in the original film, which grossed $80 million on a $15 million budget. The story follows a recently deceased married couple, played by Baldwin and Davis, who are stuck haunting their old residence. But when their attempts to scare an unbearable family out of their home fail, they stuble upon a dangerous spirit.
In 2014, Burton admitted he wanted to bring Keaton back and even had a script ready. Now, it looks like Beetlejuice will soon be popping out of his grave and causing more mischief.
