Jenna Ortega says she expects to step away from television once “Wednesday” concludes, pointing to a career built on jumping from show to show since childhood. The actor made the comments on Josh Horowitz’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast while promoting her new film “Klara and the Sun,” which opened in theaters Friday, The Hollywood Reporter reported.
“I actually haven’t had a lot of franchise conversations. What I’m meant to do will come and find me. I think after ‘Wednesday,’ I’ll probably be off the TV for a while,” Ortega said. “You know I had many years doing [TV]. I was bouncing from show to show as a kid and I want to leave time for new things.”
That doesn’t mean she’s leaving Nevermore now. Netflix hasn’t said season 3 will be the show’s last, and co-creator Miles Millar has said the team will make as many seasons as Netflix wants.
Why Ortega is eyeing a TV break
Long before “Wednesday,” Ortega was a TV regular, with roles on “Jane the Virgin” and Disney Channel’s “Stuck in the Middle.” That early run of series work shapes how she talks about her next chapter.
She hinted at the shift in Esquire’s September cover story. “It’s only been in the last year or so, especially with the show coming to a head and getting ready to enter this next chapter in my life and career, that I’ve really honed in,” Ortega told the magazine in August.
Her 2022 run, with “Scream” and “X” in theaters and “Wednesday” on Netflix, turned Ortega into one of Hollywood’s most sought-after young actors and opened the door to a string of film projects.
“Wednesday” season 3 and what led here
Netflix confirmed in late September that filming on “Wednesday” season 3 had wrapped. The new season follows the Nevermore Academy students into senior year and digs into growing up and what comes after graduation, according to What’s on Netflix.
Co-creator Miles Millar has said the phrase “Wednesday must die” plays a big part in season 3, tying into a theme of the Addams family loving each other while still keeping secrets and lying to one another, What’s on Netflix reported.
The season also takes Wednesday abroad. Production moved to Paris in mid-April, where Ortega and Fred Armisen, who plays Uncle Fester, were photographed shooting a motorcycle sequence along the Seine, What’s on Netflix reported.
Winona Ryder has signed on too, as guest star Tabitha. It’s another reunion for the “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” trio of Ryder, Ortega and director Tim Burton.
Ortega’s film slate
Ortega’s film commitments help explain the pivot she’s describing. She stars opposite Natalie Portman in “The Gallerist,” director Cathy Yan’s dark art-world satire that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. She also has a role in J.J. Abrams’ sci-fi fantasy “The Great Beyond,” which Warner Bros. has set for Oct. 1, 2027. And she’s attached to star with Taylor Russell in “Single Female,” Sony’s remake of the 1992 thriller “Single White Female,” which remains in development.
What’s next
Taika Waititi’s “Klara and the Sun” is now in theaters, and “The Great Beyond” opens Oct. 1, 2027. “Wednesday” season 3 doesn’t have a premiere date yet, though Netflix has confirmed it won’t arrive until 2027.
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