Jenna Ortega has led an impressive career, especially in recent years, where she’s starred in the likes of Scream and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Now, however, Jenna Ortega is making a point for other women in the film industry. She believes that Hollywood should emphasize making original women-led franchises instead of repurposed spin-offs.
For example, while doing a press tour for the long-awaited Beetlejuice sequel, she was asked a question about potentially pairing up with Tim Burton again. The question, which asked Ortega if she’d like to play “Edith Scissorhands” for a take on Burton’s Edward Scissorhands, prompted a serious response from Ortega about such repurposed spin-offs.
Here’s what Jenna Ortega had to say about how more women-led franchises should be established to MTV via Variety:
“I love that there’s a lot more female leads nowadays, I think that’s so special. But we should have our own,” Ortega said. “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 badass.”
It’s an argument that many moviegoers and filmmakers have had for years. Fortunately, there seems to be an agreement that more women deserve to have leading roles in Hollywood. It’s clear, though, that these roles should be their own rather than riffing on characters that already exist. There certainly is no reason a female character can’t be just as appealing to audiences as someone like James Bond, and why they can exist on their own without being turned into a “Jamie Bond.”
In the meantime, fans can look forward to seeing Jenna Ortega in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which hits theaters on September 6, 2024. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding Jenna Ortega and her growing career as we have them. In the meantime, it’s great to see that she’s getting some great roles of her own that don’t require flipping the genders of other pre-established characters.