MOVIES
Will Jenna Ortega star in ‘Beetlejuice 2’?
It looks as though Jenna Ortega is in talks to appear in the sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 hit.
Jenna Ortega is reportedly in talks to star in Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice 2′, with Michael Keaton gearing up to play Beetlejuice again. The news of Jenna Ortega being cast in ‘Beetlejuice 2′ was revealed on the ‘Hot Mic Podcast’ with John Rocha and Jeff Sneider.
Who will Jenna Ortega play in ‘Beetlejuice 2′?
Ortega is in early talks to play the role of the daughter of Lydia Deetz, who was played by Winona Ryder in the original ‘Beetlejuice’, and who is expected to reprise her role for the sequel.
The original ‘Beetlejuice’, which starred Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones, and Catherine O’Hara, won an Academy award in the Best Makeup category at the 1989 Oscars.
The film grossed $74 million in North America and $80 million at the global box office after being produced on a budget of only $15 million.
Tim Burton and Jenna Ortega to team up again
Jenna Ortega has already worked with Tim Burton, who is executive producer on the popular Netflix series, ‘Wednesday’, where Ortega plays the gothic teenage daughter in a spinoff of the comedy horror sitcom, ‘The Addams Family’.
Burton also directed four of the eight episodes.
When does ‘Beetlejuice’ start production?
As of February 2022, Plan B, Brad Pitt’s production company, is developing the ‘Beetlejuice’ sequel, after joining Warner Bros. for the project. Warner Bros. reportedly had the movie in the works for a while before that.
The team plans to start shooting in May or June 2023 in London, England, though important details such as cast and budget have not been set.
A long time coming
The movie has been in the works since 2013, with Keaton confirming that he and Burton were chewing on the idea of a sequel, and that there was even a script being developed.
A year later in 2014, Burton talked about missing the making of the first movie, and how fun it was to work with the character Beetlejuice, played by Keaton.
“There’s only one Beetlejuice, and that’s Michael,” Burton said. “There is a script, and I would love to work with him again. I think there is now a better chance than ever.”
“I miss that character. There’s something that’s cathartic and amazing about it. I think it’s closer than ever.”