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Can you picture Jenna Ortega in a James Bond tux, chasing villains through scenic locales? Sorry, that’s not in the cards anytime soon. TheBeetlejuice Beetlejuicestar made it abundantly clear in a recent MTV interview—she’s not interested in stepping into female versions of male characters.
When questioned about the possibility of collaborating with herBeetlejuice BeetlejuiceandWednesdaydirector Tim Burton on a gender-swapped revival ofEdward Scissorhands, Ortega made her position clear. In her statement, the young actress is all fired up about the surge of female leads in movies.
However, she’s not exactly rolling out the welcome mat for gender-flipped versions of classic male characters, like James Bond. Instead, she’s calling for fresh, original female heroes who can stand tall on their own two feet, rather than just donning the old suits of their male counterparts.
Jenna Ortega Speaks Out: Why Spinoffs Don’t Equal Progress
Jenna Ortegaand Tim Burton are once again teaming up for the highly anticipatedBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, marking their second collaboration following the success of Netflix’sWednesday.
Jenna Ortega May Not Know Johnny Depp But a Movie Starring The 2 Hollywood Giants is Very Possible After Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
During anMTV interviewwith Josh Horowitz, Ortega and her co-star Catherine O’Hara had a chuckle about the concept of female-led reboots of classic films. While the latter found the idea amusing, Ortega was more interested in seeing original films with dynamic female characters.
When asked if she’d be up for collaborating with Burton on a sequel to one of his classic films,Edward Scissorhands, but in a gender-swapped story, theYoustar hit the brakes on that notion, saying:
I love that there’s a lot more female leads nowadays, I think that’s so special, but we should have our own. I don’t like it when it’s like a spinoff — I don’t want to see like Jamie Bond. You know? I want to see another b*dass.
Ortega also touched on whyBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceis a more fitting choice for a sequel compared to something likeEdward Scissorhands. She pointed out:
The beauty of Edward Scissorhands is the mystery. I think it’s very sensitive. You see, Beetlejuice can still somewhat be original because he exists in no specific time.
“You could take him back to the 1800s if you really wanted to,” Ortega quipped.
Interestingly, the idea of a female James Bond isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. In 1955, Gregory Ratoff, who acquired theJames Bondrights, briefly toyed with the idea of casting Susan Hayward in the role (viaIndie Wire). However, the idea was swiftly discarded once Sean Connery entered the picture and became the iconic Bond we know today.
Jenna Ortega Thinks This Star Could BoostWednesdaySeason 2
Jenna Ortega is dreaming big for Season 2 ofWednesday, and it involves a sprinkle of Beetlejuice magic. So, what’s cooking? The actress, 21, has been eyeing the possibility of herBeetlejuice Beetlejuiceco-starWinona Rydermaking a cameo inWednesday 2.
WhenGamesRadar+caught up with her, Ortega couldn’t hide her excitement but also acknowledged the reality check:
Man, that would be cool, but that girl is so busy. She really has no time, even trying to get together to do this, you know, it was [tricky]… So I don’t know about that but obviously, I would love to work with Winona again, and if it’s not on Wednesday, then it’s going to be on something else, I hope. We talk about it all the time, and that would be really sweet for me.
Here’s hoping these actresses align soon!
“No you don’t have to”: Jenna Ortega Shows Who is the Real Boss After a Rude Request to Winona Ryder During Beetlejuice 2 Promotion
InBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, hitting theaters this weekend, Ryder steps back into her iconic role as Lydia Deetz. Meanwhile, Ortega joins the fun as Lydia’s teenage daughter, Astrid. Set 36 years after the original cult classic, the sequel promises to bring the Deetz family back to their quirky hometown of Winter River, all underTim Burton’s direction.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is set to release on June 20, 2025.
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
