Beetlejuice 2 is finally happening, and it will feature an actress that Addams Family fans should be quite familiar with. According to sources with The Hollywood Reporter, Jenna Ortega, who plays Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s eponymous series, is set to star in the long-anticipated sequel to the 1988 horror comedy that saw Michael Keaton hired to scare away a family as a green-haired bio-exorcist. Sources say that Ortega will play the daughter of Lydia Deetz, who was played by Winona Ryder in the original film and can be fondly remembered dancing to “Jump In The Line (Shake Senora)” during its conclusion.
From The Hollywood Reporter:
The news comes as Ortega hits theaters with Scream VI, which could land the top opening in the franchise’s 25-plus-year history.
Tim Burton, who helmed the 1988 film starring Michael Keaton, is expected to direct, with Keaton returning as well, according to sources. Production is eying a late May or early June shoot in London, but budget has not been set, resulting in a back and forth. If a deal is made, sources say Ortega would play the daughter of Lydia, the character played by Winona Ryder in the original.
Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O’Hara also starred in the original film, which grossed $80 million on a $15 million budget and it scored a best makeup Oscar at the 1989 Academy Awards. The sequel has gone through various iterations over the years, with multiple writers coming and going and Burton himself publicly waffling over his own involvement.