ENTERTAINMENTJenna Ortega Says She'd 'Never' Do 'Beetlejuice 3' Without Tim Burton
Jenna Ortega revealed she wouldn’t have joined 'Beetlejuice 3' without director Tim Burton.
Aug. 10 2025, Published 3:00 p.m. ET
Jenna Ortega and Tim Burton haven't kept up with the Beetlejuice 3 buzz swirling around Hollywood.
Jenna Ortega shut down any plans for 'Beetlejuice 3.'
The actress from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the iconic director revealed they were completely unaware of the talk surrounding a potential third installment in the beloved fantasy franchise.
This news follows Warner Bros. Pictures co-CEO Mike De Luca's recent announcement that development would begin "imminently."
"Really? Nobody told me," Burton said in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "Maybe I've been replaced."
Tim Burton revealed Warner Bros. kept him in the dark about 'Beetlejuice 3' talks.
While lightning struck twice for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice when it hit theaters, the chances of it striking a third time seem slim.
"It took 35 years to make the second one, so by that time, I'll be 105," Burton joked. "I know those odds are not good."
Burton expressed his fondness for the recent sequel, noting, "I really, really enjoyed making this one, and [Warner Bros.] didn't even really want to do it. We did it the same way I did the first one, with the actors doing improv. It was beautiful to see some of the old cast and have Jenna. But it's like trying to recreate the Wednesday dance scene. I love the characters, but I don't necessarily see it."
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Jenna Ortega pitched a wild plot twist for 'Beetlejuice 3.'
Meanwhile, Ortega firmly dismissed the idea of making Beetlejuice 3 without Burton at the helm.
"Oh, I would never," the Scream star told THR. "I also think anybody would be really wrong to get behind that project. Without him involved, what is it? It is what it is because of Tim. There's no other film you can compare Beetlejuice to. So why would you do that? That would be a tad disrespectful."
At a recent event, Ortega shared a wild plot idea for a third film if Burton takes the lead.
"Maybe [my character] Astrid dies and goes to heaven instead [of the films' Netherworld]," she suggested. "They should just take Baby Beetlejuice on tour and send him to Hawaii."
Tim Burton praised the 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' sequel.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice follows the story of Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) decades after she first encountered the titular ghoul (Michael Keaton).
In the sequel, Lydia hosts a paranormal talk show called Ghost House, while her skeptical daughter Astrid (Ortega) gets entangled with Beetlejuice, leading to misadventures through the Netherworld.
The film exceeded expectations with a massive $110 million debut last September.
As for Burton and Ortega, they're busy promoting the upcoming season of their Netflix hit Wednesday. The first part of Season 2 dropped on August 6, and Netflix just announced a third season renewal.
