Summary
The latest trailer forBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceshows that Jenna Ortega’s character has a lot in common with her iconic title role in Netflix’sWednesday, which could be a bad sign for the movie. Set 36 years after the events of the original movie,Beetlejuice Beetlejuicesees the Deetz family returning to their home in Winter River after Charles’ untimely passing. Tim Burton is back in the director’s chair for the long-awaited sequel, with such returning cast members as Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse, Winona Ryder as Lydia Deetz, and Catherine O’Hara as her mother, Delia.
Ortega plays Lydia’s rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, who unwittingly unleashes Betelgeuse after finding a mysterious model town in the attic.Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceis set to be released in theaters on August 06, 2025. It’s banking on both nostalgia for the classic original film and Ortega’s newfound star power followingher breakout success inWednesday. Butit’s looking likeBeetlejuice Beetlejuicemight skew a little too closely to the tone and characterization of Ortega’s hit Netflix series, playing more likeWednesdaylite than an authentic sequel to Burton’s iconic ‘80s horror comedy.
Jenna Ortega’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Character Is A Lot Like Wednesday Addams
She’s a high school outsider, much like Wednesday
Based onthe newBeetlejuice Beetlejuicetrailer, Astrid’s characterization seems to be almost identical to Wednesday’s. The opening scene of the trailer shows Astrid as an outsider at her high school, being bullied by the other kids. This is similar to Wednesday, who struggled to fit in at her original school and continues to struggle to fit in at her new boarding school, Nevermore Academy. This scene is an instant reminder of Wednesday, which is probably intentional to encourageWednesday’s massive fan base to buy a ticket to see the movie.
The character is presumably modeled after the misanthropy and social awkwardness of Lydia, since she’s Lydia’s daughter and she’s being framed as this generation’s Lydia in the legacy sequel, butOrtega’s casting makes it impossible not to see Wednesday. This is a bad omen for the long-anticipated legacy sequel. AfterBeetlejuicefans have waited more than three decades for a sequel, it would be a huge disappointment if it ended up just being an unofficialWednesdaymovie.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuicewill open the 81st Venice International Film Festival on June 14, 2025.
Jenna Ortega’s Beetlejuice 2 Character Being Like Wednesday Was Inevitable
Wednesday has a lot in common with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
It was inevitable that there would be some similarities betweenBeetlejuice BeetlejuiceandWednesday. They’re both cut from the same cloth, involving a lot of the same talent. Both projects have the same lead actor in Ortega, the same director in Burton, and the same screenwriters in Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. Plus, both stories share a spooky aesthetic and a family-friendly horror vibe.There was no way thatBeetlejuice Beetlejuicewould be completely distinctive fromWednesday; they have so much in common that they were bound to at least have a similar feel.
There was always going to be some connective tissue betweenOrtega’s performance inBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceand her performance inWednesday. Very few actors have the ability to genuinely disappear into a role and make their characters totally distinct from one another. Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman are in this exclusive club, but most actors have a familiar on-screen persona that they bring to each role. Ortega’s performance inWednesdayis totally unique to that character, but there are certain traits that can also be seen in her work inX,Scream, and, indeed,Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Must Avoid Making Jenna Ortega’s Character Too Much Like Wednesday
There has to be something to differentiate this character from Wednesday
Ortega’s role inBeetlejuice Beetlejuicecan’t just be a rehash ofWednesdayor it won’t be satisfying as a follow-up toBeetlejuiceor a movie in its own right. Having the same star, director, and writers means thatBeetlejuice Beetlejuicewill inevitably have a similar creative voice toWednesday, but it can’t just copy the same character. The sequel has to do something to differentiate Astrid from Wednesday. Wednesday is an outsider by choice; maybe Astrid wants to fit in, but can’t, which would make her more insecure (and, ultimately, more relatable) than Wednesday.
Whatever approach they take, it can’t just be the same shtick asWednesday.Beetlejuice Beetlejuiceneeds to make Astrid feel distinct from Wednesdayor it’ll be too repetitive. Wednesday is pretty much a lone wolf in her Netflix series, soBeetlejuice Beetlejuicecould shake up the formula by focusing on Astrid’s strained relationship with her mother. A macabre mother-daughter story would certainly differentiateBeetlejuice BeetlejuicefromWednesday.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Cast
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the original Tim Burton classic that starred Michael Keaton and Wynona Rider in a horror-comedy that involved ghosts trying to scare off new homebuyers from taking their house. The sequel brings back Michael Keaton as the hilarious and sleazy ghost with selfish intentions, now joined by Jenna Ortega in a new role.
