Jenna Ortega and Camila Mendes in Talks to Star in ‘Alba’

It looks like 2023 is the year of Jenna Ortega following the massive success of Wednesday (with fans eagerly awaiting season two), her recent appearance in the latest Scream film, and now she’s reportedly in talks to star in Alba alongside Camila Mendes (Riverdale, Do Revenge). Ortega, 20, and Mendes, 28, are in talks to star in the film adaptation of famed Spanish playwright Federico Garcia Lorca’s play, The House of Bernarda Alba. Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick) is also reportedly going to star in the film and it will be directed by Chilean filmmaker Francisca Alegria and produced by Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment with writer Chelsey Lora (Vida) adapting the screenplay. Ortega has not been officially cast according to reps who reached out to Geek Vibes Nation while Mendes is also in talks to produce the film from A24 studios.

Alba will be set on the outskirts of Miami to update the original plot, which takes place Andalusia,
in rural Spain, IndieWire reported. Though no confirmation has been announced, Mendes and Ortega will likely play one of the five sisters while Ramirez will likely play the role of Pepe, the love interest (though in the original play he’s never seen).

La Casa de Bernarda Alba is a famous play by Spanish playwright and poet Federico García Lorca and it was first performed on March 8, 1945 in Buenos Aires. It centers on domineering matriarch Bernarda and her five daughters  ranging in age from 20 to 39 who live under her rules alongside her own elderly mother and their maid. They’re under an imposed mourning period of eight years after Bernarda’s second husband dies and they’re not allowed to form relationships with men or have a life beyond their home. The rigidity and isolation leads to rebellion and when a lover comes into play it sets off a chain of events that unravels the control Bernarda imposed on them. The tragic story explores themes of oppression, repression, conformity, societal expectations set on women, and individuality.

We can only speculate as to which actress will play which sister but we can see the Wednesday star portrayed the passionate and rebellious youngest daughter Adela while Mendes could play Martirio or Amelia who both have a darkness to them as a result of Bernarda’s treatment. For the time being we’ll have to wait and see as no date of release has been announced at this time though Yahoo reported that filming begins this summer.

Ortega, who is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent and Mendes, who is of Brazilian descent, are both working on major projects in the meantime. Ortega is currently promoting Scream VI and is set to star in the second season of Netflix’s hit series Wednesday while Mendes can be seen in the upcoming final season of Riverdale out March 29.