Jenna Ortega wows in backless gown at premiere of Beetlejuice sequel at Venice Film Festival

The Beetlejuice sequel may have received a three-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, but it was its star who really wowed fans.

Tim Burton’s long awaited Beetlejuice sequel may have received a three-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival overnight, but its star Jenna Ortega equally wowed fans with her stunning outfit.

Standing out among the sea of black ensembles her Beetlejuice Beetlejuice co-stars wore, Ortega was a vision in red as she arrived at the Palazzo del Cinema in a flowing Dior gown that perfectly matched the red carpet.

Jenna Ortega attends the red carpet premiere of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice at 81st Venice Film Festival on August 28 in Italy. Picture: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

The actress is a vision in her red Dior gown. Picture: Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP

The custom made designer gown was completely backless. Picture: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Ortega, 21, was a knockout in her floor-length tulle tutu dress that was partly see-through, with her small red hot pants peeking under from the layers as she posed with co-stars Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Justin Theroux and Catherine O’ Hara.

Ortega with her Beetlejuice Beetlejuice co-stars (from left to right): Justin Theroux, Winona Ryder, Tim Burton, Monica Bellucci, Michael Keaton, Willem Dafoe and Catherine O'Hara. Picture: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

While the dress appeared sweet at the front, it oozed sexiness with its backless torso feature, which Ortega proudly showed off with various over-the-shoulder poses.

There was a sentimental reason behind the actress’ choice of outfit for the evening, too.

As it turns out, the ruffled gown is a nod to the iconic red wedding dress Ryder’s character Lydia Deetz wore when marrying Beetlejuice (Keaton) in the original 1988 movie.

Ortega’s dress was completely backless. Picture: Marco BERTORELLO / AFP

The designer gown was somewhat see-through too. Picture: Marco BERTORELLO / AFP

In the sequel, Ryder reprises her role of Lydia who is now all grown up with a goth teenager of her own named Astrid Deetz.

Astrid is just as morbid as Lydia was all those years ago and doesn’t think twice about invoking the spirit of Beetlejuice.

Ortega and co-star Winona Ryder, who reprises her role of Lydia in the sequel. Picture: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

During the Venice Film Festival press conference, Ortega said she was honoured and humbled to be playing an “anchor” character among “a team of giants, and people who were so special and talented at what they do”.

And she said she made a conscious decision not to play a replica of Ryder’s character.

Ryder wore a red wedding dress in the original film when she married Bettlejuice. Picture: Warner Bros.

Ortega plays Ryder’s daughter in the sequel. Picture: Warner Bros.

“You think that they’re going to be the same, so for me, it was just making sure that I wasn’t ripping off lovely Winona’s work back in the day and making something new, but still pulling certain aspects and things like that that would make them similar,” Ortega said at the festival while on a panel with her castmates.

“They’re very self-assured and opinionated and know who they are, and I think their anger comes from a different place,” she added of Astrid and Lydia being same-same but different.

“You just love dark things,” she told Ryder on stage, “and I think Astrid has a bit more trauma and resentment towards the world, and that’s what she’s working through.”

The film also stars O’Hara as Lydia’s stepmother Delia Deetz and Theroux as Lydia’s manager and fiancée Rory.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is in cinemas on September 5.