Fresh off her first Emmy nomination, Jenna Ortega was filming a scene for Beetlejuice 2 this week in Vermont (in the same town where the original film was made in 1987). She’s playing Lydia Deetz’s daughter, and she’s been working all summer along with Tim Burton, Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, and the rest of the cast and crew, but they did not wrap before the SAG strike shut down productions across the US, so this is one of Jenna’s last days working this week before striking. Because they didn’t wrap before the strike, Beetlejuice 2’s September 2024 release date might be in jeopardy, which is not the actors’ fault, as various industry publications keep trying to imply.
So, what can we glean about Lydia Deetz’s daughter based on these photos of Jenna Ortega? Besides how effectively cast she is to play Lydia’s offspring based on nothing more than vibes. This is basically fulfilling online fan casting, ever since Wednesday, people were manifesting Jenna as Lydia’s daughter. I will say, I LOVE her boots. I want those boots. Someone ID those boots for me. Lydia’s daughter has amazing taste in footwear, that is a FACT.
Also, the Beetlejuice house has been recreated in Vermont. For a second, I got really excited and thought they painted it black for the sequel—my dream house is a black Victorian—but no, it’s just draped in black netting. The house is still classic white. But I love this house, the Beetlejuice house is a huge influence on my desire to live in a haunted Victorian home. I remain skeptical of this film, but I will admit to a flash of nostalgia when I saw the photo of the house. They are 100% going to sucker me into caring about this movie based on fashion and farmhouses.
Vermont has recently been hit hard by devastating floods, and more rain is expected this weekend. You can donate to relief efforts through the VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund, and the Vermont Main Street Recovery Fund is supporting small businesses affected by flooding.
