Actor Jenna Ortega had an out-of-body experience when she first saw Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice on the set of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the sequel to director Tim Burton's 1988 classic horror comedy film Beetlejuice.
Ortega stars in the second installment of the franchise as Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Lydia Deetz played by Winona Ryder, who is reprising her role from the first movie.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Ortega recalled her initial response to seeing Keaton resurrecting his bio-exorcist ghost character from 36 years ago.
"I remember feeling my soul leave my body for a second," said Ortega.
She continued:
“And then in between takes, he’s sitting down and drinking his tea."
Ortega added:
"Every time I walked onto that set, I wanted to remember it for the rest of my life."
Fans can't wait to revisit their favorite characters and see Ortega joining the Beetlejuice family.
The 21-year-old Latinx actor from La Quinta, California emerged onto the Hollywood scene in various projects, including the TV series Jane the Virgin, and movies like Iron Man 3 and Insidious: Chapter 2.
Ortega found mainstream success playing Wednesday Addams in the Netflix series Wednesday. Her performance won her critical acclaim including a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, making her the second youngest to be nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category.
In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which plays on the summoning chant for the wacky specter akin to Bloody Mary, the Deetz family returns to Winter River following the death of a major character from the first film and Beetlejuice is accidentally summoned by Lydia's rebellious teenage daughter Astrid, resulting in an unexpected reunion and plenty of otherworldly mayhem that is sure to delight and terrify fans of the franchise.
You can watch a trailer here.
- YouTubeyoutu.be
Reuniting with Keaton and Ryder in the second film is Schitt's Creek star Catherine O'Hara, who reprises her role as the kooky artist Delia Deetz.
O'Hara had some choice words in response to those complaining about sequels and the lack of originality in Hollywood.
In April, she defended Beetlejuice Beetlejuice after online trolls bemoaned a follow-up to the classic 80s fantasy movie during an appearance at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
"If people don’t like it, then f'k them," said the 70-year-old icon.
Rounding out the cast is Justin Theroux as Rory, Lydia's husband and Astrid's father, and Willem Dafoe as ghost detective Wolf Jackson.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will be released in US theaters on September 6, 2024.
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