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Jenna Ortega shares her directing ambitions and how Tim Burton brings out the best in her

Creative partnerships

Jenna Ortega shares her directing ambitions and how Tim Burton brings out the best in her

Ortega and Burton have worked together on "Wednesday" and "Beetlejuice 2"


Maria Loreto
Senior Writer
JULY 24, 2025 3:11 PM EDT

Jenna Ortega and Tim Burton have formed one of the most prolific partnerships in recent memory. The pair has worked on multiple projects together, including "Wednesday" and "Beetlejuice 2," and has no plans of stopping any time soon, with the announcement of the third season of the Netflix series even before the second one has aired. 

In a new interview, Ortega and Burton have opened up about their relationship and some of what people can expect from the hit Netflix series. 

Tim Burton has become one of Jenna Ortega's mentors and friends© Corbis via Getty Images
Tim Burton has become one of Jenna Ortega's mentors and friends

While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Ortega discussed her dreams of directing and some of the things she's learned from working with Burton over the past years. 

"The way Tim carries himself on set. He’s so polite. He knows everybody’s names. He trusts the team," said Ortega. 

Jenna Ortega opened up about her dreams of directing© WireImage
Jenna Ortega opened up about her dreams of directing

"When I initially started working with him, I would ask him for notes and critiques. He wouldn’t give any. It’s not because he wasn’t trying to be helpful, but he was allowing me the space to find what was going to work for me. It created a greater confidence in myself. I think he really brings out the best in people and allows them to think out of the box, so you want to get weirder and weirder with it. It’s such a joy when someone brings that out of you." 

The new season of 'Wednesday'

Jenna Ortega in 'Wednesday' season 2 © COURTESY OF NETFLIX
Wednesday season 2 premieres in August

When discussing the new season of "Wednesday," the pair remained tight-lipped about any new developments, only making it clear that they went into the series with no expectations or desires to top what they'd already done. 

Burton used the viral Wednesday dance as an example. "This sums up what I like about working with Jenna. We didn’t do a big Broadway rehearsal. We didn’t hire a choreographer. I picked the song and said, 'You just go do it.' She showed up on the day — I think she even had COVID — and we just did it," he said. 

"But to your question: No, we didn’t think about it this time because we didn’t think [about the dance number being a big deal] to begin with."

The second season of "Wednesday" premieres on August 6th.

Wednesday: Season 2 | Official Trailer | Netflix

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