After years of captivating audiences with her enigmatic performances, Jenna Ortega is poised to step into the director’s chair for a long-cherished passion project. During an engaging conversation with her Hurry Up Tomorrow co-star, The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, Ortega unveiled her aspirations to bring a script she has nurtured for nearly a decade to fruition as a director. In her interview with V Magazine, The Weeknd, who takes on both directing and starring roles in Hurry Up Tomorrow, inquired whether Ortega had any interest in directing original stories.
“I have a script that I’ve known that I was going to make for almost 10 years,” she shared with Tesfaye. “It’s intriguing because it’s something I conceived during my early years in this industry, and it’s only now that I’m truly beginning to take actionable steps to bring it to life, which is a fascinating development.”
While collaborating on Tim Burton’s Wednesday, Ortega, who holds a production credit on this mysterious and captivating series, has absorbed valuable insights about the intricate process of filmmaking. She expressed, “Learning the ropes of production and being actively involved in projects has enlightened me immensely. There’s a plethora of behind-the-scenes activities that I was previously unaware of. I’m piecing all the puzzle pieces together in my mind. I believe I needed a few years of experience to grasp the sequence of operations,” she explained. “Everything I’ve done throughout my career appears to have been for a reason, delaying this story’s creation until now, but I’m genuinely excited about it. Additionally, I’m exploring a couple of other projects inspired by other actors or writers, particularly characters I haven’t had the chance to portray before.”
When probed about the possibility of starring in her own directorial project, Ortega acknowledged that while she can envision herself in the role, her primary focus remains on directing. She articulated, “For this particular project, I can see myself fitting into it, but my primary ambition is to direct. That’s the most important goal for me. I envision that as my path forward. I find that directing aligns with my thought processes and influences how I approach my acting as well.”
She elaborated further, “While I don’t intend to act in the projects I create in the future, at the outset, leveraging my established name as an actor provides me with a significant advantage, and I aim to utilize that as a stepping stone.”
What genre do you think Ortega envisions for her directorial debut? Could it lean towards something dark, supernatural, surreal, romantic, or a blend of all these elements? I am genuinely excited to witness the unique perspective that Jenna Ortega can bring to filmmaking as a director. We will keep an eye out for any updates or details pertaining to this promising venture.
