Jenna Ortega’s latest project is launching in Italy…
The 81st Venice Film Festival will open with the world premiere of Tim Burton‘s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, starring the 21-year-old Mexican American actress.
Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe star alongside Ortega in the highly anticipated sequel to Beetlejuice.
The Warner Bros film will be screened out of competition on Wednesday, August 28 at the Sala Grande, the festival said Tuesday.
This will mark a return to the sort of glitzy red carpet with which Venice has become synonymous, after last year’s Lido event had less star-wattage than usual as it took place amid the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Warner Bros starts the international rollout on Beetlejuice 2 on September 4 with domestic joining September 6.
Said Venice chief Alberto Barbera today, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice marks the long-awaited return of one of the most iconic characters of Tim Burton’s cinema, but also the happy confirmation of the extraordinary visionary talent and the masterly realization of one of the most fascinating auteurs of his time. The Venice Biennale is honored and proud to host the world premiere of a work that features a surprising swing of creative imagination and driving hallucinatory rhythm.”
Added Burton, “I’m very excited by this. It means a lot to me to have the world premiere of this film at the Venice Film Festival.”
In the sequel to Beetlejuice, Burton’s classic 1988 supernatural comedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River following an unexpected tragedy. Still haunted by Beetlejuice (Keaton), Lydia’s (Ryder) life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid (Ortega), discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.
This year’s Venice runs from August 28-September 7 with French star Isabelle Huppert acting as jury president.