Jenna Ortega has never been one to shy away from a challenge. From awkwardly dancing her way into our hearts in Wednesday to commanding the screen (and Abel’s subconscious) in Hurry Up Tomorrow, Ortega has steadily risen to be a force in Hollywood. But in true Jenna Ortega fashion, acting and producing just weren’t enough. Now, she wants to step behind the camera with decade-in-the-making masterpiece of her own design.
In an interview with The Weeknd for V Magazine, Ortega revealed that she’s ready to make her directorial debut, and she’s not just winging it. “I have a script that I’ve known I was going to make for almost 10 years,” she said. “It’s something I thought of when I was younger and when I first started out in this field… and it’s only now that I’m starting to take the steps to get it made.” Ortega also confirmed she’ll also star in the film, even if that’s not her long-term goal.
As she told The Hollywood Reporter, “I really want to direct. That’s probably the main thing that I want to do. I see that for myself… I don’t want to be in the things I create in the future, but starting out, because I’ve created more leverage for myself with a name as an actor, I may as well use that as a stepping stone.”
Jenna Ortega’s directorial debut after being a goth icon
Ortega’s transformation from scream queen to gothic auteur isn’t just career evolution—it’s strategy. Having produced Wednesday Season 2 and starred in Scream and Hurry Up Tomorrow, she’s quietly studied the mechanics of Hollywood. As she told The Weeknd during their V Mag chat, “There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes that I wasn’t aware of… I’m just putting the puzzle pieces together in my head.”
She’s also well aware of the trade-offs. “There’s the artistic side… then there’s a business side,” Ortega explained. “You’ve got to do the mainstream jobs… to make the studios happy.” It’s that duality (between creative autonomy and industry survival) that fuels her move to directing.
And from everything we’ve learned, her upcoming project will be visceral, high-stakes, and rooted in her signature gloomy aesthetic.
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What we know about the 100% Ortega script
Though Jenna Ortega hasn’t released the title or plot, clues are there. She’s called it “a character I see myself in” and teased nonlinear storytelling.
Drawing comparisons to her collaboration with The Weeknd and director Trey Edward Shults (a psychological thriller with a dreamlike vibe), it’s fair to expect something just as stylized, intimate, and dark.
“It’s hard to develop something that you’re starring in or leading,” Ortega said candidly. But her instincts are sharp. As The Weeknd put it: “What I love, love, love telling people is how incredible your instincts are as a storyteller and a filmmaker.”
This isn’t just a new career phase. It’s Ortega building her cinematic language. One that’s as deliberate and powerful as her stare on Wednesday. But this time, from behind the lens.
