Movies August 20, 2024
Jenna Ortega on ‘Beetlejuice’ Freak-Out & If She's Dancing in ‘Wednesday’ S2 (Exclusive)
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Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara and Jenna Ortega are dishing on the highly anticipated film “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”
“Extra’s” Tommy DiDario spoke with the women about the movie, which is directed by legendary Tim Burton.
Jenna said she was thrilled to work with both Winona and Catherine, confessing, “I was losing my mind… freaking out… Never did I ever think that they were going to bring ‘Beetlejuice’ back. I didn’t know that I was going to get the opportunity to work with either one of you.”
Looking back on her childhood dream of becoming an actor and now sitting next to Catherine and Winona, Jenna shared, “It’s a very surreal life that I lead.”
Jenna called herself “lucky” to be able to work with Catherine and Winona, who she described as “kind and considerate and so, so talented.”
Winona was also complimentary about Jenna and spoke about feeling maternal toward her.
Ryder raved, "She's truly such a magnificent, like, insanely talented, brilliant person and just the most authentic person that I've known. It was such a joy, it really was. I;ve never had that kind of sacred bond."
Winona and Catherine were in the original 1988 film with Michael Keaton.
Ryder recalled about making the movie when she was 15, saying, “It was a really incredibly special time because I remember like everything about it… Everyone made me feel so included and that was sort of new because, you know, when you’re a kid actor, they tell you, ‘Stand there and do this,’ and, like, it was the first time, like, Tim was like, ‘What do you think?’ I was like, ‘You care?’”
It’s been 35 years since the original came out, and Catherine said she “couldn’t believe” she would have to opportunity to reprise her role as Delia Deetz. She said, “We kept saying to each other, ‘Do you believe we’re here? We’re actually doing this.’”
Catherine reflected on her meeting with Tim about doing the movie. She commented, “I met with him. He said he just would really love to do it… He wanted that feeling that he had on the set where everybody was fresh and new. They had nobody over his shoulder.”
Ortega was at Burton’s home when he approached her about the movie. She shared, “He threw me off. It was in Malibu… we were talking about ‘Wednesday,’ gives me the ‘Beetlejuice’ script. I went, ‘Oh, okay, right-right, cool. Thank you very much.’ Left. Got in my car, pulled over 10 minutes into the drive on the side of PCH… I just read the entire thing.”
Jenna knew “pretty much” right away that she wanted to do the project.
As for what’s to come on “Wednesday,” Jenna teased, “I have, like, really incredible set pieces, is what I would say... We’ve only done four episodes so far, but every episode has one strong, kind of outstanding scene or factor, which is kind of nice… This season just feels like we’re getting a little bit more of an opportunity to do the things that we wanted to accomplish in the first one, maybe just didn’t have the resources or faith. We just have a lot more trust this season.”
Are we getting another viral dance moment?
Jenna answered, “Not that I’m aware of… I’m not looking ahead at the schedule, but I fear maybe I’ll see something.”
Catherine is appearing on the second season of “The Last of Us," and she teased of her character, "I'm not a villain. I might be to a certain character."
The interview went hilariously off the rails when Tommy asked if O’Hara kicks ass in the role!
Winona laughed, saying, “I thought she was talking about ‘Schitt’s Creek’ coming back.”
After a bit of laughter, Winona dished on the final season of “Stranger Things,” saying that people will be shocked about “everything.”
"I honestly don't know," she said, adding that things are "even stranger."
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” is out September 6.