Jenna Ortega, recognized in recent months for her role as Wednesday Addams in the remake of the Netflix series “Merlina”, is in talks to play Lydia Deetz’s daughter, played by Winona Ryder in “Beetlejuice 2”.
If it comes to fruition, it would be the second time that Ortega has worked with Burton, since the famed director is an executive producer on “Wednesday” and directed four of its eight episodes. Michael Keaton, star of the original 1988 film, would be set to reprise his role as the main character.
The news was published by Varietybut it was not confirmed by Warner Bros or Ortega.
A sequel has been in the works at Warner Bros for some time, even before Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B began moving forward on the project in February 2022.
The original film, “Beetlejuice,” centers on Charles (Jeffrey Jones), Delia (Catherine O’Hara) and Lydia Deetz (Ryder), who live in a house formerly occupied by the Maitlands (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis).
The Maitlands died in a traffic accident, but their ghosts want to return to inhabit the old house. To do this, they hire Beetlejuice (Keaton), a “bio-exorcist,” to scare off the Deetz.
Jenna Ortega is negotiating her participation in Beetlejuice 2, as the daughter Lydia Deetz, the character of Wynona Ryder in the original pic.twitter.com/3ZQ6chWvyF
— Mr. Freaki 🍄 (@MisterFreaki) March 10, 2023
When is Beetlejuice 2 released?
Beetlejuice was a hit. It raised 75 million dollars in the United States with a budget of just 15 million.
Rumors of a sequel started way back in 2013, when Keaton confirmed that he and Burton were talking about it.
A year later, Burton said he “missed” the Beetlejuice character. “There is only one Beetlejuice, and that is Michael. There’s a script, and I’d love to work on it again. I think we have a good chance,” said the director.
Ryder, for his part, spoke about the subject in 2015, in an appearance on “Late Night with Seth Meyers”.
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