Jenna Ortega is cementing her name as one of the “Scream Queens” of modern times. While she has starred in iconic projects such as Netflix’s “Wednesday” and now is about to premiere the highly-anticipated film “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” Ortega revealed that is an iconic role she auditioned for but didn’t get.
In an interview with BuzzFeed Celeb, the 21-year-old Latina actress revealed that she tried to secure Zendaya’s Chani role in the Dune movies. “I think I auditioned for Dune when I was about 15,” she revealed. “I remember just being a big fan of that film and the franchise and everything like that and being really excited for that interview because Denis is one of my favorite filmmakers,’ she added, referring to Denis Villeneuve.
Ortega went on to say, “I think it was Chani, I think it was Zendaya’s, but they weren’t saying that; everything was very secret.” In January 2019, news broke that Zendaya would portray Chani in the saga.
Ortega’s interview comes on the heels of her appearance in Sabrina Carpenter’s music video for her latest single ‘Taste’ which seems to be inspired by the 1992 movie “Death Becomes Her.” Dressed in black, the pair recreated the roles of Goldie Hawn and Meryl Streep.
Jenna Ortega’s latest movie
Jenna, who grew up as a child star, noticed a peak in her career circa 2022 when her portrayal of Wednesday in Netflix’s modern adaptation of “The Addams Family” went viral. Since then, the 21-year-old actress has stayed in the horror territory, which included a starring role in “Scream VI.” After a few more films and TV show appearances, in 2024, she’s debuting in Tim Burton’s highly anticipated sequel to the 1988 classic “Beetlejuice,” titled “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” The film, which will premiere at the 81st Venice Film Festival on August 28, two months ahead of Halloween, features Jenna as Astrid, the daughter of Lydia Deetz, portrayed by Winona Ryder.
© Beetlejuice movieOrtega is also returning on the second season of “Wednesday,” which is believed to premiere in late 2025 or early 2026.
The actress reportedly works alongside Glen Powell in a secret film directed by JJ Abrams. The new movie’s name is still unknown, but the pair is allegedly in conversations with Warner Bros. to make the news official. Abrams wrote the script, which his production company, Bad Robot, will produce.