Actor and Producer Jenna Ortega Preparing to Helm First Film

Jenna Ortega says she is now taking active steps to direct a script she began developing when she was just starting out in the industry. The actor, known for roles in Wednesday and Scream, described the project as something that has stayed with her since childhood.

“I have a script that I’ve known that I was going to make for almost 10 years,” Ortega said during an interview with V Magazine. “It’s weird because it’s something that I thought of when I was younger and when I first started out in this field, and it’s only now that I’m actually starting to take the steps to get it made.”

Ortega said the process of working behind the scenes on several recent productions has changed how she approaches storytelling. She currently holds an executive producer credit on Wednesday season two and Death of a Unicorn, and is attached as both star and executive producer on Hurry Up Tomorrow, directed by Edward Shults and co-starring The Weeknd and Barry Keoghan.

“Learning how to produce and being a part of projects in that way has informed me so much,” she said. “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. So I think I needed a few years of that under my belt to understand the order of doing things.”

The script she plans to direct is one she feels personally connected to. Ortega said she does see herself acting in this particular story, but emphasized that her larger focus is on moving behind the camera.

“This one in particular, I see myself in it, but I really want to direct,” she said. “That’s probably the main thing that I want to do. I see that for myself. I just feel that’s the way my brain wants to work and think, and that’s how I even view my acting sometimes.”

When asked whether she intends to continue acting in the work she creates, Ortega explained that appearing in her projects is not her long-term goal. Instead, she described it as a strategic decision tied to her current visibility as an actor.

“I don’t want to be in the things that I create in the future,” she said. “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.”

Ortega also said the timing of this directorial effort feels right, pointing to the experiences she’s gained and the projects she’s participated in as helping her better understand the full process of filmmaking.

“Everything that I’ve done in my career, I feel like there’s a reason why I didn’t make this story at an earlier time,” she said. “But I’m really excited about it.”

She indicated that the project is now moving forward in practical ways, though no production timeline or team has been officially announced. Ortega did not share plot details, but emphasized how long the idea has stayed with her and how it has evolved alongside her career.

“There are a couple of other things I’m trying to develop right now,” she added, “but it’s strictly off of being inspired by another actor or a writer, characters that I’ve never really gotten the opportunity to play before.”

Ortega has spoken in previous interviews about her interest in directing, but this marks the first time she has confirmed concrete steps toward making that transition. In the V Magazine interview, The Weeknd asked if she was actively working on something of her own, prompting her to discuss the decade-old idea.

She said she first imagined the story when she was beginning her acting career and kept it in mind even as her on-screen roles expanded. Now, with experience as both an actor and producer, Ortega said she feels more prepared to take the lead on a project from behind the camera.

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