Jenna Ortega’s “Miller’s Girl” to World Premiere at the Palm Springs Film Festival

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega’s latest project will have its debut in the California desert…

Jade Halley Bartlett‘s Miller’s Girl, starring the 21-year-old Mexican American actress and Wednesday star and Martin Freeman, will make its world premiere at the 2024 Palm Springs Film Festival before it opens in theaters next month.

Lionsgate and Point Grey Pictures are behind the movie, which marks the feature writing and directing debut for Bartlett, who wrote the original play in 2011 and adapted it into a screenplay that landed on the 2016 Black List.

Miller’s Girl will premiere at the festival on January 11 and open in cinemas beginning Friday, January 26.

Ortega, Freeman and Bartlett are set to attend the Palm Springs screening at the festival, which runs January 4-15. They will be a part of the fest’s Talking Pictures program that features post-screening Q&As with cast and creatives.

The film centers on the unraveling of a complex connection between lonely intellectuals: a failed writer named Jonathan Miller (Freeman) and his remarkable student Cairo Sweet (Ortega). When a creative writing assignment prompts uncomfortable realities, both realize they’ve blurred lines beyond the academic. The pic is about the imminent, inexorable attraction between characters who become both hero and villain in each other’s stories.

Bashir Salahuddin, Gideon Adlon and Dagmara Domińczyk also star.

Ortega’s hit Netflix series Wednesday will begin shooting in late April in Ireland, after Season 1 was shot in Romania. The first season ranks as Netflix’s most popular series of all time with 252.1 million views to date.

On the film front, Ortega recently confirmed that the Wednesday schedule means she won’t be able to return for the next installment of Scream, after she helped Scream VI this year to the horror franchise’s best opening grosses ever at $44.4 million in the U.S.

Ortega is next up opposite Ben Foster, Toby Wallace and Tommy Lee Jones in Brian Helgeland’s crime thriller Finestkind, which has its world premiere Tuesday.

She also has Beetlejuice 2 in the works for a September 2024 launch.

Jenna Ortega Starring Opposite Paul Rudd in A24’s Dark Comedy “Death of a Unicorn”

Posted on November 2, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Death becomes Jenna Ortega.

The 21-year-old Mexican American actress has wrapped work on A24’s dark comedy Death of a Unicorn, which co-stars Paul Rudd.

The ensemble cast includes Richard E. Grant, Téa Leoni, Will Poulter, Anthony Carrigan, Sunita Mani, Jessica Hynes and Stephen Park.

Filmed over the summer under a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement, Death of a Unicorn marks the directorial debut of Alex Scharfman, who also penned the script.

The film follows a father (Rudd) and daughter (Ortega) who accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where the former’s billionaire boss (Grant) seeks to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties.

A24 will globally distribute the film after co-financing alongside Ley Line Entertainment.

Halloween’s John Carpenter is composing music for the film alongside son Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies. Larry Fong is on board as Director of Photography, with Amy Williams as Production Designer, Avy Kaufman as Casting Director and Andrea Flesch as Costume Designer.

Paramount+ Releases First Look at Jenna Ortega’s “Finestkind”

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Jenna Ortega’s finest(kind) hour…

Paramount+ has released first look images at Finestkind, starring the 20-year-old Puerto Rican & Mexican American actress.

From Brian Helgeland, the film also stars Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Foster and Toby Wallace, ahead of its premiere Friday at the Toronto Film Festival. The film is set for a November premiere exclusively on Paramount+.

Written and directed by Helgeland, Finestkind tells the story of two brothers (Foster & Wallace), raised in different worlds, who are reunited as adults over a fateful summer. Set against the backdrop of commercial fishing, the story takes on primal stakes when desperate circumstances force the brothers to strike a deal with a violent Boston crime gang. Along the way a young woman (Ortega) finds herself caught perilously in the middle. Sacrifices must be made and bonds between brothers, friends, lovers, and a father (Jones) and his son are put to the ultimate test.

“Finestkind is populated with characters I once knew. But the film I probably should have made first in my career I saved for now,” said Helgeland. “In it, a crew of fishermen in my hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts, find themselves in dangerous water as debts they can’t possibly pay mount up. In this clip, the pressure begins to turn them against each other.”

Ismael Cruz Cordova, Aaron Stanford, Scotty Tovar, Tim Daly, Lolita Davidovich and Clayne Crawford also star.

Finestkind was originally set back in 2018 with Jake Gyllenhaal, Ansel Elgort and Zendaya starring.

Jenna Ortega to Appear on This Season’s “Variety Studio: Actors on Actors”

Posted on May 29, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega is talkin’ shop with a fellow former child star…

Variety’s Actors on Actors series returns featuring the biggest stars in this year’s Television Emmys race for Season 18, including the 20-year-old Puerto Rican & Mexican American actress.

Ortega, who stars in Netflix’s acclaimed series Wednesday, will sit down with The Great actress Elle Fanning for their segment.

But Ortega isn’t the only Latinx artist to participate this season…

Pedro Pascal, the star of HBO’s The Last of Use, will sit down with Steven Yeun, who stars in Netflix’s Beef.

Meanwhile, in a Star Wars themed conversation, Diego Luna, the star of Andor, will appear opposite opposite Hayden Christensen of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The four episodes will debut on PBS SoCal on Thursday, June 15th starting at 8:00 pm, followed by encores on KCET and public television stations across the country and the WORLD Channel (check local listings). All episodes will stream on pbssocal.org and the free PBS App following their premieres.

Variety’s Actors on Actors issue will hit newsstands on June 7th and the conversations will start airing on Tuesday, June 6th on Variety.com and its social media channels.

This year’s “Actors on Actors” lineup includes:

Katherine Heigl (“Firefly Lane”) with Ellen Pompeo (“Grey’s Anatomy”)
Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”) with Jennifer Coolidge (“The White Lotus”)
Ali Wong (“Beef”) with Jason Segel (“Shrinking”)
Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”) with Elle Fanning (“The Great”)
Kieran Culkin (“Succession”) with Claire Danes (“Fleishman Is in Trouble”)
Melanie Lynskey (“Yellowjackets”) with Natasha Lyonne (“Poker Face”)
Brett Goldstein (“Ted Lasso”) with Theo James (“The White Lotus”)
Steven Yeun (“Beef”) with Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”)
Diego Luna (“Andor”) with Hayden Christensen (“Obi-Wan Kenobi”)
Meghann Fahy (“The White Lotus”) with Elizabeth Olsen (“Love and Death”)
Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”) with Jennifer Garner (“The Last Thing He Told Me”)
Brian Cox (“Succession”) with Emily Blunt (“The English”)
Rachel Weisz (“Dead Ringers”) with Taron Egerton (“Black Bird”)

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2019, as well as the Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for best entertainment programming in 2015 and 2016.

The series is produced by PBS SoCal in partnership with Variety Media, LLC.

Jenna Ortega Wins First-Ever Critics Choice Super Awards Trophy

Posted on March 17, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega is a super choice…

Winners for the third annual Critics Choice Super Awards, with the 20-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American Golden Globe-nominated actress among the honorees.

Ortega was named Best Actress in a Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie for her acclaimed work in Netflix’s Wednesday.

It’s her first Critics Choice Super Awards win.

The honors are bestowed on the best in genre movies and television series by Critics Choice Association members.

Here’s the full list of winners below.

Film

BEST ACTION MOVIE: Top Gun: Maverick
BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE: Tom Cruise – Top Gun: Maverick
BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE: Viola Davis – The Woman King
BEST SUPERHERO MOVIE: The Batman
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE: Colin Farrell – The Batman
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPERHERO MOVIE: Angela Bassett – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
BEST HORROR MOVIE: Barbarian
BEST ACTOR IN A HORROR MOVIE: Ralph Fiennes – The Menu
BEST ACTRESS IN A HORROR MOVIE: Mia Goth – Pearl
BEST SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE: Everything Everywhere All at Once
BEST ACTOR IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE: Ke Huy Quan – Everything Everywhere All at Once
BEST ACTRESS IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIE: Michelle Yeoh – Everything Everywhere All at Once
BEST VILLAIN IN A MOVIE: Mia Goth – Pearl

SERIES

BEST ACTION SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Cobra Kai
BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Kevin Costner – Yellowstone
BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Helen Mirren – 1923
BEST SUPERHERO SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: The Boys
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPERHERO SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Antony Starr – The Boys
BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPERHERO SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Tatiana Maslany – She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
BEST HORROR SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Wednesday
BEST ACTOR IN A HORROR SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Evan Peters – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
BEST ACTRESS IN A HORROR SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Jenna Ortega – Wednesday
BEST SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE (Tie): Andor & Stranger Things
BEST ACTOR IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Adam Scott – Severance
BEST ACTRESS IN A SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Patricia Arquette – Severance
BEST VILLAIN IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MADE-FOR-TV MOVIE: Antony Starr – The Boys

Melissa Barrera & Jenna Ortega’s “Scream VI” Breaks Franchise Record with $44.5 Million Opening Weekend

Posted on March 12, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega are officially Scream queens…

The 32-year-old Mexican actress and singer and her 20-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American’s Scream VI collected $44.5 million in its opening weekend, a great start for Paramount and Spyglass Media’s long-running slasher film series.

The ticket sales were enough to top domestic box office charts over two newcomers, Sony’s prehistoric sci-fi thriller 65 and Focus Features’ heartwarming comedy Champions, as well as last weekend’s victor Creed III.

The initial haul for Scream VI is frighteningly strong for the sixth installment in a franchise. Not only did it greatly improve upon the start of last year’s hit reboot Scream, which scored with $30 million, but it crushed the series’ opening weekend record, previously set by 2000’s Scream 3 with $34 million. Scream VI cost $35 million, so it’ll easily turn a profit in its theatrical run.

“It’s extraordinary to have this type of result after six films,” says Chris Aronson, Paramount’s president of domestic distribution. “We blew away the opening of the last ‘Scream.’ That doesn’t happen.”

The R-rated “Scream VI” added another $22.6 million from 53 international markets, bringing its global tally to $67.1 million.

“Reviews and audience scores are very good, and international business should be solid,” says David A. Gross, who runs the film consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “27 years after launching in 1996, the franchise is healthier than ever.”

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, Scream VI follows survivors of Ghostface’s murders as they leave Woodsboro behind for a fresh start in New York City. Courteney Cox, Barrera, Ortega and Hayden Panettiere return for the film, which is the first installment without Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott. The actor departed the film because she felt “the offer that was presented to me did not equate to the value I have brought to the franchise.

”Opening weekend audience members skewed slightly male (51%), while 71% were between the ages of 18-24.

Jenna Ortega In Talks to Star in Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” Sequel

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega could be juicing for her next role…

20-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American Golden Globe-nominated actress and Wednesday star may be reuniting with Tim Burton on his next project as Hollywood insiders report Ortega is in early talks to reunite with the Wednesday creator on Beetlejuice 2 at Warner Bros.

Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder are reportedly expected to reprise their roles with Burton directing.

Production is expected to start in late May or early June in London, but the film’s budget hasn’t been set, resulting in some back and forth.

If a deal is made, sources say Ortega would play the daughter of Lydia, the character played by Ryder in the Burton-helmed original.

Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara also starred in the original film, which grossed $80 million on a $15 million budget. It also scored a Best Makeup Oscar at the 1989 Academy Awards.

Ortega has been on a roll as of late, led by her record-breaking Addams Family series Wednesday. The show has smashed Netflix viewing records and has been renewed for a second season. She’s hosting Saturday Night Live on March 11 and is appearing on in Scream VI.

Jenna Ortega Wins First-Ever Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards Blimp

Posted on March 5, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega is the kids’ choice…

The 20-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress has picked up her first-ever Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards’ blimp.

Ortega was named Favorite Female TV Star (Family) for her role as Wednesday Addams on Netflix’s acclaimed series Wednesday.

Selena Gomez has earned her twelfth Kids’ Choice Awards’ prize.

The 30-year-old Mexican American actress/singer won the award for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie (Female) for her portrayal of Mavis in Hotel Transylvania: Transformania.

It’s Gomez’s second win the category for her work as Mavis in the Hotel Transylvania franchise following her win in 2019 for her work as Mavis on Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.

The awards show was hosted by Nate Burleson and Charli D’Amelio and aired live on Nick from L.A’s Microsoft Theater.

Here’s a look at the complete list of winners:

Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2023 winners:

TELEVISION:

FAVORITE KIDS TV SHOW: The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder
FAVORITE FAMILY TV SHOW: Wednesday
FAVORITE REALITY SHOW: MasterChef Junior
FAVORITE ANIMATED SHOW: SpongeBob SquarePants
FAVORITE FEMALE TV STAR (KIDS): Olivia Rodrigo (Nini, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series)
FAVORITE MALE TV STAR (KIDS): Joshua Bassett (Ricky, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series)
FAVORITE FEMALE TV STAR (FAMILY): Jenna Ortega (Wednesday Addams, Wednesday)
FAVORITE MALE TV STAR (FAMILY): Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler, Stranger Things)

FILM:

FAVORITE MOVIE: Sonic the Hedgehog 2
FAVORITE MOVIE ACTRESS: Millie Bobby Brown (Enola Holmes, Enola Holmes 2)
FAVORITE MOVIE ACTOR: Dwayne Johnson (Black Adam/Teth-Adam, Black Adam)
FAVORITE ANIMATED MOVIE: Minions: The Rise of Gru
FAVORITE VOICE FROM AN ANIMATED MOVIE (MALE): Dwayne Johnson (Krypto, DC League of Super-Pets)
FAVORITE VOICE FROM AN ANIMATED MOVIE (FEMALE): Selena Gomez (Mavis, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania)

MUSIC:

FAVORITE ALBUM: “Midnights (3am Edition)”- Taylor Swift
FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST: Taylor Swift
FAVORITE MALE ARTIST: Harry Styles
FAVORITE MUSIC GROUP: BTS
FAVORITE SONG: “As It Was”- Harry Styles
FAVORITE MUSIC COLLABORATION: “Sweetest Pie”- Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa
FAVORITE BREAKOUT ARTIST: Dove Cameron
FAVORITE SOCIAL MUSIC STAR: Bella Poarch
FAVORITE GLOBAL MUSIC STAR: Harry Styles (UK)

OTHER CATEGORIES:

FAVORITE FEMALE CREATOR: Charli D’Amelio
FAVORITE MALE CREATOR: MrBeast
FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA FAMILY: Ninja Kidz TV
FAVORITE FEMALE SPORTS STAR: Serena Williams
FAVORITE MALE SPORTS STAR: LeBron James
FAVORITE VIDEO GAME: Minecraft
FAVORITE CELEBRITY PET: Olivia Benson Swift
FAVORITE BOOK: Harry Potter Book Series

Jenna Ortega Doesn’t Flinch During Appearance on Sean Evans’ “Hot Ones” Show

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega isn’t afraid of a little spice…

The 20-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress appeared on Hot Ones, the series from host Sean Evans, who interviews celebrities as they eat progressively spicier chicken wings.

While he’s shared wings with the likes of Lizzo, Kevin Bacon, the Wednesday star may just be the bravest celebrity he’s met thus far.

“I’m feeling pretty confident, honestly,” Ortega said at the start of the interview. “Typically I can handle my stuff, so I’m curious.”

And Ortega did manage to handle her stuff, taking on all ten wings without breaking a sweat. All while fielding questions from Evans about Wednesday, Scream VI, and when she knew she liked to “scare people” (“From a very early age.”)

But Ortega admits that one thing has gotten her down, and that was missing certified Bob Ross instructor David Arquette‘s painting class on the set of the fifth installment of Scream.

“David Arquette in, like, the first week sat us all down in this common room we had in the hotel where we played all the board games, and he taught us how to paint like Bob Ross,” Jack Quaid recalled from the Scream reboot set.

“I think I was actually working when people took that class,” Ortega said between bites of a level three hot wing. “There have been very few times when I’ve felt completely defeated. And that is one of them.”

Ortega, however, was not defeated by even the hottest hot sauce or by Evans attempting to win a staring contest with someone who doesn’t blink for a living.

Jenna Ortega to Star Opposite The Weeknd in Untitled Film by Trey Edward Shults

Posted on February 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega has landed her next project…

The 20-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress will star opposite Abel “The Weeknd” Tesfaye and Barry Keoghan in Trey Edward Shults’ untitled film.

Plot details are being kept under wraps with the film currently in production.

Shults will direct from a script he co-wrote with Tesfaye and his producing partner Reza Fahim. Tesfaye, Fahim, Kevin Turen and Harrison Kreiss are producing with Shultz and Ortega executive-producing.

Tesfaye has been developing the project for some time and in recent months came to Shults about directing it. Once he was on board, the two along with Fahim began penning the script that they would ultimately get into the hands of Ortega and Keoghan.

Even though both Ortega and Keoghan have been weighing several offers following their big years, both made it clear they wanted this as their next project and following their commitments, the film was a go.

Besides landing Ortega and Keoghan, Shults and Tesfaye also have assembled a below-the-line team that includes director of photography Chayse Irvin. Composer and producer OPN, aka Daniel Lopatin is scoring the film alongside The Weeknd.

Ortega has been on a roll as of late, led by her record-breaking Addams Family Netflix series, Wednesday. The show has smashed Netflix viewing records and has been renewed for a second season. She hosts Saturday Night Live on March 11 and next will be seen in Scream VI.

While this marks Tesfaye’s feature acting debut in a leading role (he did have a small cameo as himself in Uncut Gems), the Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated musician is set to star in HBO’s The Idol, which he also co-created with Euphoria creator Sam Levinson.

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