‘Beetlejuice 2’ Box Office Proves Jenna Ortega Is Hollywood’s Next Bankable Star

But Zendaya has to look over her shoulder — Jenna Ortega is coming for her crown.

This weekend, Ortega scored the biggest box office success of her young career. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 classic, scored the second-biggest September opening weekend of all time at the domestic box office with $110 million.

Although Ortega’s rise to stardom in some ways mirrors that of the “Dune” star, Ortega is forging a different path. Can it reach similar heights?

Ortega turned to darker roles to find success

Like Zendaya, 28, Ortega, 21, came through the Disney machine as a child star, playing Harley Diaz on the Disney Channel series “Stuck in the Middle” and voicing Princess Isabel on the animated series ” Elena of Avalor”.

After her Disney Channel “Shake It Up”https://www.businessinsider.com/”KC Undercover” era, Zendaya broke into the mainstream with a role on a (much more mature) show, HBO’s “Euphoria.” Ortega’s trajectory was similar: She hit it big as the star of the hit Netflix series “Wednesday.”

Now Ortega is taking the next step toward movie stardom, showing his worth as a bankable star leading a major franchise with “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”

In reality, it would be difficult for any 20-year-old actress to challenge Zendaya for the hearts and wallets of today’s young moviegoers (sorry, Sydney Sweeney fans: Although Zendaya’s “Euphoria” co-star is building a impressive career and even helps to revive the romance). coms, she has yet to have a box office hit to match).

But Ortega’s rise is intriguing in how her choices differed from Zendaya’s. While Zendaya is no stranger to playing characters that have some darkness, Ortega’s projects more often explicitly veer towards thriller and horror: Ellie Alves in “You,” the reboot of the “Scream” franchise, and of course her thorough perfection as Wednesday Addams of this generation. .

While Zendaya goes the classic Hollywood starlet route (along with acting, she can sing and dance), Ortega’s characters are often more sardonic and her image more off the beaten path. That made her the perfect casting for Burton’s trip back to “Beetlejuice.”

The question now is whether Ortega’s talents can extend beyond dark and disturbing characters.

Like Zendaya, Ortega is using existing IP to grow her career

“Could you see Jenna Ortega doing ‘Challengers’?

That was the response we got from a Hollywood producer when we asked about Ortega’s pursuit of Zendaya’s crown, referring to Zendaya’s acclaimed tennis drama Luca Guadagnino.

“Jenna is bankable because of ‘Wednesday,’ and that made her perfect for ‘Beetlejuice,'” the producer continued. “But I also couldn’t see Zendaya in that movie. Jenna definitely has the range to carry certain films.”

But the “Wednesday” act might get old after a while, and that’s the challenge ahead: the need to evolve.

The producer notes that it all “depends on the projects” Ortega chooses, but the advantage the movie star has today compared to decades ago is that he has box office help in the form of existing IP. Whether it’s a beloved character from the Marvel universe or a beloved character from the mind of Tim Burton, audiences today are bound to come to theaters with a mix of star power and familiar material.

Case in point: while Ortega is fantastic in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” for as many people who went to see it because she’s its star, the same was true because they love Burton’s original.

The same can be said for Zendaya in the “Dune” movies. While she gives a strong performance, there is a legion of fans of the books who went to see “Dune” on the big screen regardless of who would play Chani.

And in another world, this could have been Ortega’s role as well.