Scream’s Neve Campbell passes the torch to a new generation of scream queens in Scream 2022, with actress Jenna Ortega as the main lead. Being so young and having more horror roles on the way, Jenna Ortega is proving why she’s the new scream queen. At just 19-years-old, Ortega already has an impressive resume of horror films & TV shows under her belt.
Jenna Ortega was born in Coachella Valley, Palm Desert, California, on September 27th, 2002. She began acting at six years old, but her first official role was a guest appearance in the television show Rob at 10-years-old. The following year, she had significant roles in films such as Iron Man 3 (2013) and the horror movie Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013). Soon after, she began having more mainstream roles, most notably in the Netflix horror drama You (2019) and starring alongside Maddie Ziegler in The Fallout (2021), which many critics noted as her “breakout role.”
Jenna Ortega’s horror movies prove she’s the new scream queen for several reasons. Not only are the number of horror roles she’s already gotten impressive, but her acting ability is remarkable. Insidious: Chapter 2 was only her second film ever. Although a minor role, being in such a popular franchise began her horror acting abilities. In 2020, Ortega was in the black comedy/horror film The Babysitter: Killer Queen in a lead role. The movie is gory, bloody, hilarious, and sexual: pretty much everything a teen horror movie should be. Following The Babysitter sequel, Jenna Ortega starred as the lead role (and new final girl) in Scream 2022. Whereas The Babysitter: Killer Queen and Scream 2022 are more horror-comedies, Ortega’s upcoming role in A24’s X looks like it’s a more serious horror film. Her portrayal in X is guaranteed to skyrocket Ortega’s scream queen roles to a new level.
Coming to theaters on March 18th, 2022, A24’s X is about adult filmmakers who travel to Rural Texas for their next movie. They stay at an elderly couple’s house, which quickly turns sinister. From the looks of the trailer, Ortega has a more mature role, with the context of the film revolving around the adult film industry. Ortega is making her transition from teenager to adult. As her acting abilities get stronger, so will her roles. Ortega’s screams in the X trailer are bloodcurdling, and the film appears dark and somewhat disturbing, which falls in line with some of her recent work.
Jenna Ortega isn’t even 20-years-old yet and is already a force to be reckoned with, so it will be exciting to see what comes next for this emerging scream queen. That said, her acting roles are reminiscent of young Neve Campbell and Jamie Lee Curtis, who have had continued impressive, long careers. With her upcoming roles in X and possibly Scream 6, which has now been confirmed to be in development, Jenna Ortega proves she has what it takes to be the new Hollywood scream queen.