Jenna Ortega shared her thoughts on the trend of remaking iconic films with female leads during an interview with MTV, where she appeared alongside her Beetlejuice Beetlejuice co-star Catherine O’Hara. When host Josh Horowitz jokingly asked if she’d be interested in starring in a hypothetical sequel to Edward Scissorhands — perhaps called Edith Scissorhands — Ortega and O’Hara found the idea amusing.
However, Ortega quickly pivoted, sharing her perspective on the subject. “I love that there are more female leads nowadays, I think that’s so special,” she said. “But we should have our own [stories]. I don’t like when it’s a spinoff — I don’t want to see like ‘Jamie Bond.’ You know? I want to see another badass.”
Ortega’s comments come amid a larger debate about reimagining traditionally male roles with female actors. During the Venice International Film Festival, Daniel Craig faced questions about a possible LGBTQ+ version of James Bond. Echoing Ortega’s thoughts, Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has also emphasized the importance of creating original female characters rather than recasting male roles with women.
While there have been successful films featuring strong female leads in similar action roles — like Atomic Blonde and Salt — Ortega’s message is clear: women deserve their own iconic roles, not just gender-swapped versions of male characters.
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