Is 'Wednesday' star Jenna Ortega on her way to Wānaka?

American actress Jenna Ortega, the star of Netflix's Addams family-inspired show 'Wednesday', has been linked to Kiwi film maker Taika Waititi's latest project, rumoured to be starting filming in Wānaka from this week.

NZ Herald 'Spy' reporter Ricardo Simich has dropped the celebrity news in a column published yesterday.

He says Ms Ortega, a "big deal" star, has several high-profile movies in post-production, including Tim Burton's long-awaited sequel to his 1988 film 'Beetlejuice', and reportedly begins filming a second season of 'Wednesday' in April.

He reckons it is the perfect window for Mr Waititi's project, which should wrap up by then.

Earlier this week Crux reported signage and security fences going up at the site of Silverlight Studio's proposed film studio in Wānaka.

According to an industry insider, it is in preparation for filming of some opening scenes for Mr Waititi's film, which he thinks has the working title 'Tears in Rain'

Mr Simich says the movie is an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 bestselling novel, Klara and the Sun.

Klara, the book's narrator, is a solar-powered robot or artificial friend, bought to help Josie, a sickly teenager seeking a companion.

Advertisements online for local talent suggest parts of Mr Waititi's will also be filmed in Auckland.

The southern source says he has been told approximately ten days of filming is planned for Wānaka, with some construction underway on the Silverlight Studio's land to accommodate it.

If the rumours are true, it could be good news for the floundering company, who Crux this week revealed has missed out on $4.5 million of support from the government.

Mr Waititi was in Wānaka in December with wife Rita Ora, who posted to Instagram about the couple's stay at Piwakawaka Point, while Mr Simich reports the star Kiwi director has been spotted in Queenstown in recent weeks.

Ms Ortega, 21, was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in last month's awards.

Footage posted online of a dance scene from the hit show, choreographed by Ms Ortega herself, has been viewed 62 million times on YouTube, with hundreds of millions more views across other social media platforms.

Main image (Netflix/Wednesday): Jenna Ortega, who plays 'Wednesday' in the Netflix series of the same name, has been linked to Taika Waititi's latest film project, rumoured to be starting filming in Wānaka from next week.