Jenna Ortega is no longer content with just dominating the screen—she’s preparing to take the director’s chair. The Wednesday star recently opened up in an interview with V Magazine, revealing her longtime ambition to helm a film she began conceptualizing nearly ten years ago.
The script, born from an idea Ortega had when she was just starting out in the industry as a child actor, has remained close to her heart. Now, with years of experience under her belt, she feels the timing is finally right to bring it to life. “It’s something I’ve known I wanted to make for almost a decade,” she said. “It came to me early on, and now I’m ready to start making it real.”
Though the project is still in its early development stages, Ortega is deep in the process of mentally assembling its components. “I’m figuring it out like a puzzle in my head,” she explained. “I needed those years of acting and observing to really grasp the process.”
While she plans to appear in the film, Ortega emphasized that her true passion lies in directing. “That’s the ultimate goal,” she shared. “It’s how I naturally think—even when I act, I often view things through a director’s lens.”
Ortega may not have directed a film yet, but she’s already gaining behind-the-scenes experience in leadership roles. She’s executive producing Death of a Unicorn and the second season of Wednesday, in addition to starring in and producing the upcoming thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow, where she’ll share the screen with The Weeknd and Barry Keoghan.
Looking ahead, Ortega envisions stepping away from acting roles in the projects she creates. “Eventually, I don’t want to be in the things I direct,” she said. “But for now, using my recognition as an actor gives me the leverage I need to kickstart that journey.”
With a decade of creative fire driving her, Jenna Ortega is ready to reshape her career—and potentially the film industry—by stepping confidently behind the camera. Her next chapter is one of authorship, ambition, and authentic storytelling.
