Warning: Spoilers ahead for Beetlejuice 2!
Jenna Ortega has commented about Astrid and Delia’s connection inBeetlejuice 2, and she makes an interesting observation about the two Deetz family members. Ortega is one of the newcast members inBeetlejuice 2alongside returning stars Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, and Winona Ryder. Following her work with Tim Burton onWednesday, Ortega joined the sequel as Astrid, Lydia’s teenage daughter and step-granddaughter to Delia. Burton’s sequel follows three generations of women in theDeetz familyfollowing the death of Charles, but the family dynamic is still a bit unorthodox.
When it was announced Lydia would have a teenage daughter inBeetlejuice 2,the easy assumption was that Astrid would essentially be Lydia 2.0. The notion made even more sense based on Ortega’s portrayal as Wednesday Addams, with the dark and gothic demeanor sharing aspects in common with Lydia’s teenage persona in 1988’sBeetlejuice. Interestingly, Astrid is very different from her mother inBeetlejuice 2, and the two have a strained relationship for much of the sequel. WhileAstrid’s attitude toward Lydiacan be somewhat justified, it was surprising to see Ortega’s character share similarities with another character.
Jenna Ortega Points Out How Much Astrid & Delia Are Alike In Beetlejuice 2
The Two Characters Share A Lot In Common
Much of the focus on familial relationships withinBeetlejuice 2centers on Astrid and Lydia, but Astrid’s relationship with Delia shouldn’t go unnoticed.During the movie’s “Meet the Deetz” featurette included in the digital release,Ortega comments that Astrid and Delia are “very like-minded,” adding that the duo has “the same sense of humor"when discussing the relationship between the characters.In fact, Ortega describes them as having a “weird kind of friendship,” allowing them to connect in ways that many may not have expected.
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While Catherine O’Hara mentions that Delia likely views Astrid as a “fresh new Lydia,” the cast acknowledges how much Ortega’s portrayal of Astrid has added new layers to the Deetz family. It’s unclear how much time Astrid spent with her grandparents beforeCharles' death inBeetlejuice 2, but there’s enough familiarity to assume she had a relationship with both before the movie. Whether Astrid liked it or not, her grandparents, specifically Delia, were paying for her tuition, thanks to the contributions seen by the Deetz Arts building at her school.
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Ortega also makes it a point to add that both Astrid and Delia can be “dramatic” and “unlikeable in a really charming way” when discussing the similarities between the two characters.Lydia and Delia’s relationship evolved inBeetlejuice 2, but they also reveal why they didn’t get along when Lydia was a teen.Delia is more prepared to deal with an angsty teenager in the sequel, thanks to her experience with Delia decades prior. She might intervene when she can, like when Delia yells at Astrid to stop “torturing” Lydia, but as O’Hara calls it, Astrid is “karma” for what Delia went through with Lydia.
…if Delia does see some of herself in Astrid, she likely doesn’t mind witnessing the teen making Lydia’s life hell at times as some sort of payback.
Knowing how Lydia turned out, it’s clearly much easier for Delia to sit back and let Astrid go through the trials and tribulations of being a teenager. Astrid might have it a little more complicated than most being in the Deetz family and all, but Delia acknowledges why the teen might need space, especially after the death of Lydia’s ex-husband and Astrid’s father, Richard. That said, if Delia does see some of herself in Astrid, she likely doesn’t mind witnessing the teen making Lydia’s life hell at times as some sort of payback. Conversely, Lydia now knows what she put Delia through all of those years ago, which is why their bond has grown over the years when she became a mother herself.
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The Two Deetz Characters Were Always On The Same Page
Astrid and Delia certainly see eye-to-eye when it comes to Lydia’s relationship with Rory, who has obviously been exploiting her from the get-go. As much as they likely want to force Lydia to run as far away as possible from Rory, they both understand that it’s something Lydia needs to figure out on her own. Still, their own dramatic nature doesn’t prevent them from reading people. By theend ofBeetlejuice 2, there’s another moment that reveals how Astrid and Delia are on the same page regarding Delia’s death.
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After Delia confirms her death inBeetlejuice 2to Lydia and Astrid, O’Hara’s character uses a somber tone. That is until Astrid points out that Delia’s artwork will now go up in value now that she’s dead, something that instantly lifts Delia’s spirits. Rather than get pulled into the grief and negative aspects of death, Astrid and Delia quickly find a positive spin on Delia’s fate.IfBeetlejuice 3does happen, it would be nice to see Delia utilize the afterlife in a way that allows her to continue her relationship with both Lydia and Astrid.
Source: Beetlejuice 2 Featurette (via WB’s digital release)
