Jenna Ortega is one of today’s biggest stars, from her leading role in Netflix’s Wednesday to her return to the big screen this fall in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Additionally, her rise to stardom almost included a major role in another popular franchise.

In an interview for BuzzFeed Celeb on YouTube, Ortega fielded a variety of different questions. She was asked if there had been any roles she’d autioned for that fans might be surprised to know, and Ortega shared that she was up for a role in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. However, given the secrecy surrounding the project, Ortega wasn’t entirely sure which character she was reading for during her audition. Her best guess is that it would have been for Chani, the role played by Zendaya in both of Villeneuve’s Dune films.

“I auditioned for Dune when I was about 15,” Ortega said. “I remember just being a big fan of that film, and the franchise, and everything like that, and being really excited for that, because Denis is one of my favorite filmmakers. I think it was Chani. I think it was Zendaya’s [role]. But they weren’t saying that. Everything was very secret.”

I think it was Zendaya’s [role]. But they weren’t saying that.

Dune wasn’t in the cards for Ortega, though her career has nevertheless thrived. Wednesday turned out to be a massive hit for Netflix, and a second saeason of the series is currently in the works. Ortega is also known to horror fans for appearing in two Scream movies and Ti West’s X. Ortega is also reportedly lining up her next major role on the big screen. According to a recent report, she’ll be joining Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters star Glen Powell in a new movie from J.J. Abrams. Her imminent Beetlejuice Beetlejuice part as Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Winona Ryder’s Delia Deetz, may be her biggest film role yet.

“She’s weird, but in a different way and not in the way you’d assume, I would say,” Ortega teased to Vanity Fair about her Astrid role. “The relationship between Lydia and Astrid, my character, is very important. And it’s also really strange because it’s a lot of catching up and putting the pieces together of what’s gone on in Lydia’s life since, which is nice, I think, for anybody who loves the character and is excited to see her again.”

Jenna Ortega Recalled Shooting Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

She added about working on the sequel, “I remember it being super-weird energy on set the last week… For the most part, up until the very last day, I feel like the shoot was a celebration of everyone being back together and doing practical effects again. It was probably the happiest I had ever seen Tim [Burton] on a set, where he’s clapping at the monitor and shouting and laughing, which was really, really endearing.”

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice premieres in movie theaters on Sept. 6, 2024.

Source: BuzzFeed Celebs