Next Big Thing: ‘Scream’ Star Jenna Ortega on Her New School-Shooting Drama ‘The Fallout’ (2024)

At age 19, Jenna Ortega is already one decade into her career. The actress — who rose to prominence playing Young Jane on The CW’s dramedy Jane the Virgin, followed by roles in You and Yes Day — stars in two movies out in January, Paramount’s Scream reboot, the first hit of 2022, and The Fallout (premiering Jan. 27 on HBO Max), which follows two teenage classmates navigating grief after surviving a school shooting. The Hollywood Reporter‘s review of the latter — one of the most talked-about films out of SXSW last year — praised Ortega for her “beautifully nuanced” performance. Ortega, who was born in the Coachella Valley, spoke to THR about her new films and about the project she’s now filming with Tim Burton.

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How are you feeling about Scream and The Fallout opening back-to-back?

Scream I’m thrilled for. It’s the best experience I’ve ever had on a set. It’s a continuation of the story — we’re not trying to redo anything; we’re just trying to expand the world and introduce it to an audience that may not be so familiar, and also give some newfound excitement and a new look at the original characters for fans of the franchise.

As far as The Fallout goes, the script is incredibly special to me. I love that it’s the director Megan Park’s feature film debut; she wrote the script in literally two weeks. The dialogue and series of events are all so natural and so grounded in Gen Z culture. We touched on a really important subject that is serious, real and horrific. But I think we tried to do it in the most caring way we possibly could. I view the film as more of an apology letter to this generation, and all that our youth has to fear. I’m curious to see how it affects people.

Next Big Thing: ‘Scream’ Star Jenna Ortega on Her New School-Shooting Drama ‘The Fallout’ (3)

You’re working in Romania as the star of Wednesday, a new Addams Family spinoff series for Netflix, which also marks Tim Burton’s television directorial debut. How have you approached working on it with him?

It’s been quite an insane experience. I’ve been lucky enough to get the opportunity to work with an iconic director who just so happens to be one of the sweetest directors I’ve worked with, and also the most detail-oriented.

To step into the shoes of somebody who’s a bit more eccentric and frightening has been really exciting for me, and definitely a challenge — especially with such a beloved character, I really want to take care of her and do her justice.

Have you felt any pressure stepping into playing a character with an iconic legacy that audiences are already familiar with?

The thing is, there are several different paths that anyone could have taken for this character. We’ve never seen Wednesday Addams as a teenage girl, so some of her harsh mannerisms may come off as hilarious when she’s younger, but as you get older, how much of that can you get away with? Or how do you keep that at the forefront of her personality without people growing to dislike her or find her annoying? So just trying to balance that … I’ve never felt so much pressure on a job, and I’m trying to keep my cool.

What do you think your audience will be most excited by or most surprised by in your role as Wednesday? Are you bringing something new to the table that we haven’t seen you stretch yourself in this way before?

I think it’s probably the most physical transformation I’ve ever done; I cut my hair, and it’s black, and mannerism-wise, speaking cadence-wise, expression-wise, I’m trying to pull from a different toolbox this time around. I think it’s a surprise to the audience, but myself as well.

You started out as a child actress, and we first met Wednesday as a child. And now you’re talking about her moving into her teenage years, so I’m wondering how you’ve handled that transition within yourself from a child actress to a more adult one. What has that matriculation has been like for you?

Honestly, my years as an actress have kind of flown by. I have been acting for almost 10 years. And that kind of blows my mind because it doesn’t feel that long.

Next Big Thing: ‘Scream’ Star Jenna Ortega on Her New School-Shooting Drama ‘The Fallout’ (4)

As far as transition goes, I honestly can’t say that it’s something that I’m very attentive toward. I think that the transition, honestly, a big one is not being around my mom so much, I would say, just because child actors, I think they tend to rely on certain parents for things in terms of always being there for you on set and helping you out. So I think that progression of not being with her and taking things on my own has been [different]. But the internal change, I think, has been pretty generic, in terms of just growing up and experiencing things.

What types of roles and projects do you hope to do in the future?

Film has always been my goal. I’ll do anything, but I think specifically my interest is indies, just because I love a good passion project. And it’s always really exciting to provide or contribute to people’s outlets of creativity, or artistry. And if there’s any way that I could be supportive in that, or beneficial in that process, I jump at the opportunity to do so. I like making people feel things, and I hope that the projects that I do in the future do that.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

A version of this story first appeared in the Jan. 26 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Next Big Thing: ‘Scream’ Star Jenna Ortega on Her New School-Shooting Drama ‘The Fallout’ (2024)

FAQs

Is Jenna Ortega going to be in Scream? ›

Jenna Ortega is no longer part of the Scream 7 cast. The 21-year-old's exit comes after her co-star Melissa Barrera was fired from the horror movie after social media posts about the Israel and Palestine conflict.

What is the movie about high school shootings in 2024? ›

The documentary “Columbine 2024: 25 Years of Trauma” tells the stories of life after school shootings occur — from emotional trauma to impacts on personal relationships. “I've never seen anything like this.”

What movie is Jenna Ortega going to be in next? ›

Next up on the Ortega film list is Klara and the Sun. Based on the 2021 novel of the same name and directed by Taika Waititi, Deadline confirmed in February 2024 that Ortega would star in this adaptation of Klara and the Sun alongside actress Amy Adams.

Why won't Jenna be in Scream 7? ›

According to the outlet, Ortega's departure is due to the shooting schedule for Netflix's massively successful series Wednesday, in which she stars as Wednesday Addams.

Will there be a Scream 7? ›

Original Scream writer Kevin Williamson will now direct Scream 7. Scream VI premiered on March 10, 2023. The movie is currently slated to begin filming in December 2024, but there are still many unknown details about the project.

What movie is coming in 2029? ›

Upcoming New Movies 2029
  • Avatar 4. 2029. ...
  • Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi. A story that is set 25,000 years before Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) as focuses on the discovery of the Force. ...
  • McClane. The original story to the popular film franchise, 'Die Hard'.
  • Wanted 2. ...
  • xXx 4. ...
  • Atomic Blonde 2. ...
  • Van Helsing. ...
  • Bad Teacher 2.

Is there a movie called 2025? ›

We are in 2025: since the appearance of covid-19 in 2020, the world is no longer the same: a new system with a single world government has been put in place.

What Netflix movie has a school shooting? ›

In this Oscar-winning short film, grieving parents journey through an emotional void as they mourn the loss of a child after a tragic school shooting. Watch all you want.

How much does Jenna Ortega get paid for Scream? ›

In addition to the scheduling issues, THR reports that Ortega's exit largely boiled down to a salary dispute. The actor's team apparently asked for a payout in the “high seven figure” range, which Spyglass wasn't willing to offer. Ortega had been paid six figures for her appearances in both Scream (2022) and Scream VI.

Will Tara be in Scream 7? ›

Sam and Tara survived the Ghostface murders of Scream 2022 and Scream 6, and as there are a lot of questions to answer about their past, they were supposed to return in Scream 7, but that's no longer the case.

Will Melissa be in Scream 7? ›

Melissa Barrera has spoken of being fired from the seventh instalment of Scream over her remarks about the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Mexican actress, 33, played Samantha “Sam” Carpenter in previous films in the slasher franchise, beginning with Scream in 2022.

What show is Jenna Ortega leaving? ›

Netflix users are expressing shock after realising Jenna Ortega has officially left an original series. Last week, the streaming service releasedJurassic World: Chaos Theory, the animated sequel series to Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, which ran for five seasons from 2020 to 2022.

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