Zendaya’s meteoric rise from Disney Channel star to the most bankable young actress in Hollywood has been impressive to watch. In less than a decade, she’s gone from a staple on the Disney Channel to one on the red carpet, fronting multimillion-dollar movie franchises like “Dune” and “Spider-Man” along with the occasional edgy prestige tennis movie — not to mention the edgy teen show that was her breakthrough.
But Zendaya needs to look over her shoulder — Jenna Ortega is coming for her crown.
This weekend, Ortega landed the biggest box office hit of her young career. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” the sequel to Tim Burton’s classic 1988 movie, scored the second-highest opening weekend ever for the month of September at the domestic box office with $110 million.
Though Ortega’s climb to stardom in some ways mirrors that of the “Dune” star, Ortega is forging a different path. Can she reach similar heights?
Ortega has leaned into darker roles to find success
Like Zendaya, 28, Ortega, 21, came up through the Disney machine as a child star, playing Harley Diaz in the Disney Channel series “Stuck in the Middle” and voicing Princess Isabel on the animated series “Elena of Avalor.”
After her Disney Channel “Shake It Up” Undercover” era, Zendaya broke through to the mainstream with a role on a (way more) mature show, HBO’s “Euphoria.” Ortega’s trajectory was similar: she hit it big as the star of the Netflix hit series “Wednesday.”
Now, Ortega is taking the next step toward full-blown movie stardom, showing her worth as a bankable star leading a major franchise with “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”
In reality, it would be difficult for any actress in their 20s to challenge Zendaya for the hearts and wallets of young moviegoers today (sorry, Sydney Sweeney fans: though Zendaya’s “Euphoria” costar is building herself an impressive career and even helping revive rom-coms, she doesn’t yet have a tentpole box office hit that can compare).
But Ortega’s rise is intriguing in the ways her choices have differed from Zendaya’s. While Zendaya is no stranger playing characters who have some darkness, Ortega’s projects more often lean explicitly towards thriller and horror: Ellie Alves in “You,” the “Scream” franchise reboot, and, of course, her deadpan perfection as this generation’s Wednesday Addams.
While Zendaya is going the classic Hollywood starlet route (along with acting, she can sing and dance), Ortega’s characters are often more sardonic, and her image more off the beaten path. That made her the perfect casting for Burton’s journey back to “Beetlejuice.”
The question now is whether Ortega’s talents can expand beyond dark, brooding characters.
Like Zendaya, Ortega is using existing IP to grow her career
“Could you see Jenna Ortega doing ‘Challengers’?”
That was the response I got from a Hollywood producer when I asked about Ortega’s pursuit of Zendaya’s crown, referring to Zendaya’s acclaimed Luca Guadagnino tennis drama.
“Jenna is bankable because of ‘Wednesday,’ and that made her perfect for ‘Beetlejuice,'” the producer continued. “But also, I couldn’t see Zendaya in that movie. Jenna certainly has the range to carry certain movies.”
But the “Wednesday” act could get stale after a while, and that’s the challenge that lies ahead: the need to evolve.
The producer notes it all “depends on the projects” Ortega chooses, but the advantage of today’s movie star compared to decades ago is they have help at the box office in the form of existing IP. Whether it’s a beloved character from the Marvel universe or a beloved character from the mind of Tim Burton, audiences today are compelled to get to theaters by a mix of star power and familiar material.
Case in point: While Ortega is fantastic in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” for as many people who went to see it because she’s its star, the same went because they love Burton’s original.
The same can be said about Zendaya in the “Dune” movies. While she delivers a powerful performance, there’s a legion of book fans who went to see “Dune” on the big screen regardless of who would play Chani.
And in other world, that could have been Ortega’s role, too.
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