You know, I didn’t need more convincing when it came to Jenna Ortega playing Winona Ryder’s daughter in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice or the fact that the Wednesday star is a fashion icon. However, we have more evidence to further prove both of those points. This is because, ahead of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’s release on the 2024 movie schedule, the young actress rocked an outfit that proved she’s a master method dress as it paid homage to her on-screen mom’s OG Beetlejuice character.
In the long-awaited sequel to Beetlejuice, Jenna Ortega plays Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz. Let’s be real, these two both have the death stair down, and they can pull off the black and white gothic style that Tim Burton loves incredibly well. So, throughout this press tour, the Scream actress has been method-dressing with looks that fit right in with the upcoming horror movie. However, I think her latest ensemble is my favorite, because it’s such a great homage to Lydia Deetz and the original movie, check it out:
At the end of the 1988 film, Ryder’s Lydia dances to “Jump in the Line” while levitating in the air, and when Beetlejuice is shown in the waiting room, the book “Handbook for the Recently Deceased” is shown. The Astrid actress’s outfit is basically a 1:1 recreation of that look (which you can see below), and it even incorporated the book in the form of a handbag.
Over on Instagram, Jenna Ortega’s mom, Natalie Lopez Ortega, reposted the outfit and added a clip from Beetlejuice of Ryder dancing in the air. She applauded her daughter’s stylist Enrique Melendez, writing that he “always understands the assignment,” and that she loved the “homage” it pays to Lydia and the actress who plays her. Girl, I couldn’t agree more!
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As you can see in the image above, Ortega rocked a long plaid skirt, a navy blue cardigan with a gold embroidered ring on the right side of her chest and a white button-down by Thom Browne. Her book bag is by Ozais, and it was made “for Jenna Ortega,” as the brand posted on IG. Honestly, it’s so perfect for this event, it looks exactly like Ryder’s ensemble in the original movie, and it’s another major addition to the trend of method dressing.
Like Zendaya’s looks for Dune: Part Two and Challengers or Margot Robbie’s fits for Barbie, Jenna Ortega’s ensembles for this press tour have been on-theme with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. From her red carpet dress that was gothic yet romantic in Mexico to some of her interview outfits that simultaneously have Beetlejuice and Addams Family energy, she’s been killing the method dressing game. This latest look was simply another cherry on top of an already perfect sundae.
Overall, the X actress has always felt like a natural addition to the Beetlejuice universe, especially since she’s been collaborating with Tim Burton on Wednesday. However, her press tour outfits have further proven the point, and her method dressing shows just how well she and her team understand this fun, fantastical and gothic world that fans have been loving since the late ‘80s.
Pretty soon, we’ll be able to see Jenna Ortega playing Winona Ryder’s daughter in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice when it premieres in theaters on September 9. While we wait a bit longer for that, I’ll be obsessing over this stellar recreation of Ryder’s fun fit, and wondering what her on-screen daughter might have planned for her next Beetlejuice-inspired outfit.
