Jenna Ortega Teases New ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ Role: “Astrid, my character, is very important”
Chad Collins
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Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice. No, it’s not Trisha Paytas, it’s Jenna Ortega. The incredulously titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the Tim Burton-helmed sequel to his 1988 original, is poised to release on September 6 of this year.
While several original cast members, including Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara, are returning, one of the most exciting casting announcements has been burgeoning star Jenna Ortega as Astrid Deetz, Lydia’s (Winona Ryder’s) daughter. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Ortega spoke about her role, the casting, and a whirlwind few years of success.
Horror fans likely recognize Ortega from the recent duology of Scream sequels, Netflix’s Wednesday (another Tim Burton project), and even Ti West’s X. Ortega remarks of her Beetlejuice Beetlejuice casting, “I had a lot of horror projects coming out and I was coming up on the horror scene a little bit. I think that John [Papsidera, the casting director] maybe jumped on the wave a little early.”
Ortega, like the rest of us, has additionally been a fan of the original since childhood, noting, “I had always loved the movie. I think the first time I saw it was actually at a friend’s house, and then the rest of the time, I’d see it whenever it was playing on TV around Halloween.”
In terms of what fans can expect, Ortega teases, “Astrid, my character, is very important. And it’s also really strange because it’s a lot of catching up and putting the pieces together of what’s gone on in Lydia’s life since, which is nice, I think, for anybody who loves the character and is excited to see her again.”
Ortega thinks Lydia is “the coolest ever,” remarking that it was challenging to slip into the role of an eye-rolling daughter with a character she feels so fondly toward. While details on the forthcoming sequel remain sparse, we can almost certainly expect a trailer and some more news soon.
What do you think? Are you looking forward to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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