Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder appear to be a convincing mother-daughter duo.
The two actresses have recently collaborated on Tim Burton’s eagerly-awaited sequel to Beetlejuice, titled Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. They have started their promotional tour for the film.
In this sequel, Ortega and Ryder portray a mother and daughter. Ryder is back as Lydia Deetz, while Ortega takes on the role of her daughter, Astrid. The storyline follows the Deetz family returning to their home in Winter River after facing an unexpected tragedy. However, the chaos begins anew when Beetlejuice’s (Michael Keaton) name is accidentally said three times, bringing the mischievous spirit back to life.
Although the film is set to be released in September, it premiered at the Venice Film Festival today, where fans couldn’t get enough of a touching moment between Ryder and Ortega during a photocall.
Live footage from the event shows Ortega and Ryder happily posing for the cameras, when some photographers begin to loudly request that Ryder remove her sunglasses.
Ryder appears momentarily flustered and looks to Ortega for guidance. Ortega, reassuring her on-screen mother, appears to say, “No you don’t have to,” and they continue posing, with Ryder keeping her chic sunglasses on.
Fans on social media have reacted warmly to this moment, applauding Ortega for reminding Ryder that setting personal boundaries is perfectly acceptable.
One Twitter user remarked, “There’s something very comforting about the younger generation encouraging the older generation (who were raised to please & say yes) to maintain their boundaries no matter what.”
“Kinda sad that a veteran actor feels like they have to follow orders from photographers but kudos to younger gen for empowering them,” added another.
“I’ve seen so many interviews where Winona is gushing about how amazing Jenna is, this warms my heart so much,” commented another user.
Ryder has previously spoken about how her resurgence in fame due to Stranger Things felt ‘overwhelming’. In a 2017 interview with Marie Claire, she said, “It’s so overwhelming. I don’t know what it’s like for really famous people… I keep hearing that people are dressing up like me [her character on the show, Joyce Byers]. I’m like, ‘What?'”
She also addressed her hiatus from acting in the early to mid-2000s, stating, “I did take time off. It was mutual, I think. I just went through a tough time.”
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is set to hit theaters on September 6.