(Left) Andrew McCarthy in ‘Less than Zero’. Photo: 20th Century Fox. (Center) Lena Headey stars in ‘Normal’. (Right) James Lance in ‘Ted Lasso’, now streaming on Apple TV.
Preview:
Lena Headey, Andrew McCarthy & James Lance have been cast in ‘Wednesday’.
The third season of the Netflix hit is shooting now.
While there is no official plotline out there yet, the second season ended with Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) heading off with her Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen) to rescue roommate and friend Enid (Emma Myers) from being trapped as an alpha werewolf.
When will ‘Wednesday’ Season 3 hit Netflix?
You’d need Wednesday’s psychic abilities to guess that at this point, but we can presume that it’ll either hit later this year or (more likely) early in 2027.
The first part of ‘Wednesday’s second season left things on a cliffhanger with our heroine injured after her latest encounter with rampant “Hyde” creature Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan). It had a lot to live up to, and while the new batch of episodes certainly have their high points, there is a big issue at its heart.
While the producers, including showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar could be forgiven for sticking to what they know, the endless use of the Hyde creature is a problem as things get repetitive. Also, the first few episodes feel like the tail end of Part One, before a new story randomly takes over, and the two plots fit somewhat uneasily.
The show remains as stylish and fun as ever, but the Hyde creatures are a weak spot –– some effects are decent, others are so cartoony as to truly stand out like a sore thumb.
As expected, Jenna Ortega remains the MVP of the show, her deadpan delivery as on point as always.
But she shares the spotlight with Emma Myers, who shines in particular when she’s swapping bodies with Ortega’s character for a chunk of an episode. The two performers are a delight playing each other, and it’s easily the most fun the season has.
Elsewhere, the Addams clan are used decently, though poor Luis Guzmán still gets the short end of the stick as Gomez. Gwendoline Christie gets to have more fun playing Principal Weems as a spirit guide than she ever truly did in the first season.
And while Lady Gaga’s cameo is fun in the moment, she’s more plot device than character.
Though the second part of the season doesn’t quite live up to the first (those confused storytelling approaches didn’t help), there is still entertainment to be derived from the watching Ortega do her thing.
The producers did at least find a way to weave (most of) the other Addams family members into the story, and the return of Gwendoline Christie’s Weems was a welcome, useful one.
‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Part 2 receives 75 out of 100.
‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Part 1 receives 8 out of 10 stars.
Arriving on Netflix on August 5th is the first part of ‘Wednesday’ Season 2, (four episodes, followed by a further four making up Part 2 on September 3rd).
If all the reporting on it and promotion for the show wasn’t enough to convince you, ‘Wednesday’s return for a second season on Netflix proves that it’s a giant sensation from the off, since it sports a tailored introductory sting featuring everyone’s favorite disembodied hand, Thing, interacting with the steamer’s logo.
‘Wednesday’, though, ultimately has a lot more than the sprawling fanbase to live up to –– it must deliver what audiences enjoyed about the first season while expanding the world and finding some new mysteries for our morbid heroine to explore.
On the evidence of the first part of the new season (split, as is the streamer’s custom, into two chunks premiering in this case roughly a month apart), ‘Wednesday’s child is still full of woe –– and mightily entertaining to boot.
Returning showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar know what makes ‘Wednesday’ tick: plenty of Ortega’s deadpan delivery, a deadly mystery enveloping her and her classmates, plenty for animated body part Thing to handle and some brightness to balance the dour central figure in the form of Emma Myers’ peppy werewolf roommate Enid.
While the element of surprise is perhaps lacking this time, the focus is instead on easing us back into Nevermore Academy, with this year bringing the added notion of having Wednesday’s family –– that would be Morticia, Gomez, Pugsley and looming, groaning manservant Lurch (Joonas Suotamo) –– around on campus more than she would really prefer.
The mystery is another beguiling one, and several of the new characters fit seamlessly into the story.
Still, while the addition of the extended Addams family does draw a little too much focus, at least the writing team keeps the balance most satisfying, Gomez and Pugsley used sparingly while the fractured dynamic between Morticia and her daughter is pushed to the fore.
On the directing front, Tim Burton is back, splitting episodes with Paco Cabezas, offers the requisite style and quirk we’ve come to expect from Wednesday. While not every effect is, er, effective (the Hyde remains some very plasticky CG work), others are still excellent (Thing in particular).
And a move to Ireland for the new season hasn’t impacted the show’s gothic charms, with an episode set at a nearby camp bringing up memories of Wednesday’s memorable time at summer camp in 1993 movie ‘Addams Family Values’.
With Ortega front and center as always, Wednesday herself remains a wonderful creation, all dark moods, gloomy zingers and a wealth of skills. This is a near-perfect blend of actor and role, and Wednesday’s journey this season allows her to deepen without changing too much.
Emma Myers also remains a delight as Enid, the perky werewolf roommate with the love of rainbow colors and, this year, a burgeoning love life. She balances well with Ortega and the two make a solid double act.
The returning members of the Addams clan (now regular cast members) are more of a mixed bag. Catherine Zeta-Jones is ever slinky and superb as Morticia, here handed her own deeper emotional throughline with different generational issues and a more active role in present-day Nevermore.
Luis Guzmán is similarly good as Gomez, though he has less to do (but does it all well). Isaac Ordonez is less convincing as Pugsley, but does at least have a fun plotline –– which also introduces some truly Burton-tastic animation for its backstory.
Previously unseen is Grandmama Hester Frump, Morticia’s mother, brought to vibrant, emotionally distant life by UK sitcom and acting legend Joanna Lumley. She fits smoothly into the wider ensemble.
Of the new recruits, Steve Buscemi makes for an appealing new principal, the goofy Barry Dort, a tireless campaigner for outcasts’ right who also has a hidden agenda, while Billie Piper works well as Isadora Capri, the new music teacher at the school.
There’s a fun, small supporting role for Christopher Lloyd (who played Uncle Fester in the live-action ‘Addams’ movies) and Thandiwe Newton provides mystery and power as the head of a nearby asylum which will become key to the plot in this early chunk of the season.
If it’s tough to follow a hit, ‘Wednesday’s second season so far shows little sign of the strain, bringing back what fans like about the show while layering in new mysteries and some worthwhile fresh faces.
Now it’s up the second batch of episodes to stick the landing…
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What’s the story of ‘Wednesday’ Season 2?
Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega), returns to prowl the Gothic halls of Nevermore Academy, where fresh foes and woes await.
This season, Wednesday must navigate family, friends and old adversaries, propelling her into another year of delightfully dark and kooky mayhem.
Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery.
The show, starring ‘Scream’s Jenna Ortega, ranks as the most-watched English language show that the streaming service has ever released and was nominated for 12 Emmys, winning four.
So naturally, fans have been clamoring for any word of when it might be back on our screens. And while there is still no properly confirmed date (see below), we do at least know that the second season exists, albeit in raw form as Netflix has marked the end of production on the latest batch of episodes by posting a suitably spooky shot of Ortega.
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She’s posing, in true Wednesday form, in what appears to be a graveyard, with a gothic gate and two robed statues carrying lanterns behind her. What were you expecting? Rainbows and kittens? Storm clouds and a pet cemetery are more her style.
While this is the first official picture from the new season, we have had a previous first look behind-the-scenes clip released as part of Netflix’s Geeked Week celebrations…
And the biggest recent news for the new season is the announcement that Lady Gaga will be appearing in a relatively small role.
What has happened with ‘Wednesday’ Season behind the scenes?
Cast and crew of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’. Photo: Netflix.
Given the sheer level of excitement around the first season (Netflix took the rare step of releasing actual figures since it had something to crow about: ‘Wednesday’ notched up most hours viewed in a week with 341.2 million hours, tied the record with fellow genre powerhouse ‘Stranger Things’ fourth season for the most viewed show in 83 countries and stands as one of only three titles to cross 1 billion hours viewed on the service within one month, along with ‘Squid Game‘/ and the aforementioned ‘Stranger Things.’
That prompted the company to spawn all manner of merchandising and real-world “experiences” and naturally to commission a second season.
The production for Season 2 shifted (for budget and scheduling reasons) from Romania to Ireland, and it had to accommodate a few challenges, including a delayed start due to star Ortega’s schedule on Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.’
It’s worth noting that Burton is also involved in ‘Wednesday’ as an executive producer as well as directing several episodes.
Alfred Gough and Miles Millar serve as the series’ showrunners, keeping things on track through the new season.
Who else will appear in ‘Wednesday’ Season 2?
(L to R) Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams, and Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams in Netflix’s ‘Wednesday.’
The first season told the tale of Wednesday’s enrollment at the Nevermore Academy, where she discovers she has inherited her mother’s psychic abilities, allowing her to solve a local murder mystery.
Season 2 will pick up the threads of that, while plunging her into a new mystery, likely with fresh creatures to deal with. The expanded roles for her family members means we can expect more of the Addams clan this time around.
And we predict potential dancing, given the viral TikTok “Wednesday dance” that spread across social media in 2022 following the release of Season 1.
Will Netflix choose to go all ‘Stranger Things’/‘Cobra Kai’ and spread the new episodes out across different chunks? That remains to be seen, but you just know they’ve considered it.
When will ‘Wednesday’ Season 2 land on Netflix?
The streaming service has yet to confirm a formal date, but the show is confirmed to return in 2025.
Cast and crew of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’. Photo: Netflix.
Preview:
‘Wednesday’ is now in production on Season 2.
Christopher Lloyd and Billie Piper are among the new cast additions.
The likes of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzman are now series regulars.
With such a big reaction to ‘Addams Family’ spin-off dramedy ‘Wednesday’s first season, you can imagine Netflix’s frustration on not being able to strike while the pop cultural iron is at its hottest, with the writers and actors’ strikes putting paid to a potential 2023 shoot.
But, following a location switch to Ireland, the show has finally gotten back into the swing of things, and cameras are now rolling on Season 2, as a fun video featuring disembodied hand Thing delivering scripts reveals…
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And the start of production is not the only piece of news to emerge from the show today, as, following on from word of Steve Buscemi joining the cast, a slew of actor announcements was revealed by the streaming service.
And then we have the new guest stars, including the exciting likes of Christopher Lloyd, who has his own ‘Addams Family’ connection, having played Uncle Fester in the two ‘Addams’ movies. But with Fred Armisen already established as Fester in ‘Wednesday’, we’ll have to wait and see who he’s playing.
Here’s what ‘Wednesday’ show-runners Al Gough and Miles Millar said about the new cast:
“We are thrilled that the entire Addams family will be enrolling in Nevermore Academy this season along with a dream cast of icons and new faces.”
Tim Burton will be back as the main director for the new season alongside Paco Cabezas and Angela Robins.
When will ‘Wednesday’ Season 2 be on Netflix?
The streaming service has yet to reveal when the show will return to its servers, but we’re guessing as soon as (in)humanely possible, given that ‘Wednesday’ is the Most Popular English TV series on Netflix with 252.10 Million Season 1 views.
Tim Burton attends the world premiere of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ on November 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Netflix.
It’s hard to avoid the biggest story in entertainment right now –– the fact that obstinate studios refuse to offer decent deals to writers and actors so that they might be able to earn a fair living, which has resulted in strikes by the unions.
One of the movies affected by the industrial action, which has effectively brought production in Hollywood and by the bigger companies (some independents have waivers to continue work). And that includes the long-awaited ‘Beetlejuice’ sequel, ‘Beetlejuice 2,’ being overseen by director Tim Burton.
According to a new interview with the filmmaker in UK newspaper Independent, he was achingly close to finishing the movie when the shutdown occurred.
“I feel grateful we got what we got. Literally, it was a day and a half. We know what we have to do. It is 99% done.”
And he’s sorry to have had to stop working on it, since it was giving him a chance to have fun making a movie:
“I really enjoyed it. I tried to strip everything and go back to the basics of working with good people and actors and puppets. It was kind of like going back to why I liked making movies.”
(L to R) Jenna Ortega and Tim Burton attend the world premiere of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ on November 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix.
Little has been officially announced about the movie, which has a script credited to Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and Mike Vukadinovich, but it will catch up with the family of Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz, who now has a daughter (played by ‘Wednesday’s Jenna Ortega’), with her stepmother, Delia Deetz (Catherine O’Hara) also involved.
And, of course, it’ll see the return Michael Keaton’s “bio-exorcist”, a chaotic ghost who specializes in ridding houses of living beings, and who caused so much trouble for Lydia in the 1988 original.
“At its heart ‘Beetlejuice 2’ is a story about a family. And now it’s 30 years later and what are the intricacies and the human condition in keeping a family together all that time set in the craziest world possible?”
Worries about artificial intelligence being used as a way to replace creative humans is a core issue of the strikes. And it’s something that Burton himself is not too keen on either.
A Buzzfeed article used the technology to imagine creepy Burton versions of classic Disney characters such as Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. The director admits that some were “very good”, but still doesn’t like the idea.
This was Burton’s take:
“I can’t describe the feeling it gives you. It reminded me of when other cultures say, ‘Don’t take my picture because it is taking away your soul. What it does is it sucks something from you. It takes something from your soul or psyche; that is very disturbing, especially if it has to do with you. It’s like a robot taking your humanity, your soul.”
Assuming it can be finished in time, ‘Beetlejuice 2’ is scheduled to be released on September 6th, 2024.
Tim Burton attends the world premiere of Netflix’s ‘Wednesday’ on November 16, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix.
Monica Bellucci in ‘Mafia Mamma.’ Courtesy of Bleecker Street.
After spending decades in development limbo (more on that below), the sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 supernatural comedy ‘Beetlejuice‘ is at last in production, with Burton back calling the shots in the UK.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Monica Bellucci is also joining the cast of ‘Beetlejuice 2,’ and is reportedly set as Betelgeuse’s (yes, that’s how it is spelled) wife. Otherwise, plot details are being kept in a mysterious desert otherworld roamed by sandworms.
1988’s ‘Beetlejuice’ saw the spirits of a deceased couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) harassed by an unbearable family (Jeffrey Jones as Charles Deetz, O’Hara as Delia Deetz and Ryder as Charles’ daughter, along with various assistants and hangers-on) that has moved into their home and hire an oddball spirit (Keaton’s Betelgeuse) to drive them out.
But when Betelgeuse’s malicious chaos becomes too much, the ghostly couple team up with Lydia to try and stop him. Famously, he’s summoned by saying his name three times.
Burton enjoyed making ‘Beetlejuice’ enough that in 1990 hired Jonathan Gems to write a sequel called ‘Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian’, which would have seen the Deetz’ head to the island nation to open a resort, only to build on the burial ground of an ancient Hawaiian Kahuna. The spirit comes back from the afterlife to cause trouble, and Betelgeuse’s services are once more reluctantly required.
Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse in 1988’s ‘Beetlejuice.’
The idea languished in development for nearly a decade, going through different scripts and potential writers (including ‘Heathers’ Daniel Waters, who instead went to work on ‘Batman Returns’ for Burton and Kevin Smith, who turned down the idea in favor of the similarly doomed ‘Superman Lives’), before ending its limbo status in apparent failure around 1997.
Yet after years of official silence, Warner Bros. decided to try again, hiring Seth Grahame-Smith to write a script that would set the story in contemporary times with Ryder and Burton back. But even that didn’t turn into anything, despite Mike Vukadinovich re-writing the script.
Now, though, it’s officially back on, boasting a script from ‘Wednesday’ creators and Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.
We’re almost surprised to see that Eva Green (who has worked twice with Burton already) didn’t snag the role, but we’re definitely interested in whatever Bellucci does with the character.
‘Beetlejuice 2’, or whatever it ends up titled, should be in theaters on September 6th, 2024.
Dan Stevens in 2014’s ‘The Guest.’
In other casting news, Dan Stevens is going from giant monsters (he’s part of the cast of ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’) to more mysterious ones as the actor is joining the cast of an untitled new Universal creature feature being guided by the Radio Silence team behind the last couple of ‘Scream’ movies.
Radio Silence, in case you forget, includes directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett, plus producer Chad Villella among their number. This is something the trio has been wanting to make since their first stab at Scream, but the success of that movie led them to put it hold to focus on the sequel. Now, they’re shifting back to the monster movie.
(L to R) Melissa Barrera (Sam Carpenter) and Jenna Ortega (Tara Carpenter) stars in Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Scream VI.’
What is the new movie about?
And even more than the ‘Beetlejuice’ sequel, the details are being locked away in a coffin, though there has been serious speculation that it could be a version of ‘Dracula’s Daughter’, with the story revolving around a young girl kidnapped by a gang, whose supernatural parentage causes real problems for the criminals. Weir has been tipped as the daughter, with Barrera as one of the gang. Stevens’ role is truly unknown right now, but we could certainly see him as Dracula, were that to be the case.
Again, nothing has been officially revealed, but it’ll be fun to see what the Radio Silence gang does unleashed on another venerable horror franchise. With luck, it’ll turn out to be as entertaining as ‘The Invisible Man’ or ‘Renfield’ (and Universal will be hoping for more box office success than the latter).
As for Stevens, as mentioned above, he’s just finished reuniting with ‘The Guest’ director Adam Wingard for the latest entry in Warner Bros./Legendary’s “Monsterverse”, playing an unknown human in the movie, which sees the giant creatures facing off a new threat that has ties to the origins of all the “titan” monsters that have been stomping around in the film series so far (at least, as far as anyone outside the production knows right now).
Most recently seen in last year’s romantic comedy ‘Spin Me Round’ and heard as one of the characters in animated adventure ‘The Sea Beast’ (clearly the man has a thing for creatures), Stevens will also crop up in horror movie ‘Cuckoo’.
Radio Silence has certainly proven they know how to create good horror movies, and with the added paranormal/monstrous element, we’re also thinking how much fun their ‘Ready or Not’ turned out to be. This will be one to watch, but there’s no sign yet of a release date for this one.
Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse in 1988’s ‘Beetlejuice.’
Tim Burton’s 1988 cult hit ‘Beetlejuice’ not only saw him work for the first time with Michael Keaton (who would go on to star as Burton’s Batman for twomovies about the Caped Crusader, and then crop up in the director’s 2019 Disney live-action effort ‘Dumbo’), but also cemented him as a director whose kooky, oddball style could succeed at the box office.
It was popular enough to generate a big fan following, a wealth of merchandise and even a Broadway musical adaptation. But even with its enduring popularity, a sequel has been a long time coming.
That all changes now that ‘Beetlejuice 2’ is finally ready to kick off shooting, with Burton back calling the shots in the UK today. Cast-wise, Keaton and Winona Ryder (who played disaffected teen Lydia Deetz) are back, with ‘Scream VI’s Jenna Ortega (who starred for Burton in the recent Netflix hit ‘Addams Family’ spin-off ‘Wednesday’) playing Ryder’s daughter.
Now we know that Justin Theroux is also aboard in an unknown role.
So, how did we get here?
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The story of the Beetlejuice sequel
1988’s ‘Beetlejuice’ saw the spirits of a deceased couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) harassed by an unbearable family (Jeffrey Jones as Charles Deetz, Catherine O’Hara as Delia Deetz and Ryder as Charles’ daughter, along with various assistants and hangers-on) that has moved into their home, and hire a malicious spirit (Keaton’s Betelgeuse, which is how his name is spelled) to drive them out.
But when Betelgeuse’s malicious chaos becomes too much, the ghostly couple team up with Lydia to try and stop him. Famously, he’s summoned by saying his name three times.
Burton enjoyed making ‘Beetlejuice’ enough that in 1990 hired Jonathan Gems to write a sequel called ‘Beetlejuice Goes Hawaiian’, which would have seen the Deetz’ head to the island nation to open a resort, only to build on the burial ground of an ancient Hawaiian Kahuna. The spirit comes back from the afterlife to cause trouble, and Betelgeuse’s services are once more reluctantly required.
Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse in 1988’s ‘Beetlejuice.’
The idea languished in development for nearly a decade, going through different scripts and potential writers (including ‘Heathers’ Daniel Waters, who instead went to work on ‘Batman Returns’ for Burton and Kevin Smith, who turned down the idea in favor of the similarly doomed ‘Superman Lives’), before ending its limbo status in apparent failure around 1997.
Yet after years of official silence, Warner Bros. decided to try again, hiring Seth Grahame-Smith to write a script that would set the story in contemporary times with Ryder and Burton back. But even that didn’t turn into anything, despite Mike Vukadinovich re-writing the script.
That gives Prime Video streaming service the rights to show pretty much everything that MGM has produced, and since that includes Addams Family content (the recent animated movies, for example were produced by MGM), it was speculated that ‘Wednesday’ could follow.
But, as Indiewire is now pointing out, the deal for ‘Wednesday’ was struck some time before the sale of MGM was approved, so it’s more than likely that Netflix will be holding on to the show for the foreseeable future, especially since it continues to be one of its most-watched series.
Plus, there’s a mention that Amazon has been willing to explore hosting content that isn’t exclusive to Prime Video, which means that ‘Wednesday’ could continue to find a home on Netflix’s servers for years to come, even if it does one day pack its dark-colored bags and make the move to Prime in later years.
The series, which stars Jenna Ortega as the daughter of Gomez (Luis Guzman) and Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), sees Wednesday headed to Nevermore Academy after being expelled from more regular schools because of her behavior.
There, despite still feeling like an outsider, she’s actually able to make connections with fellow students (on both the friendship and unlikely romantic front), while also confronting a supernatural mystery and her own burgeoning psychic powers.
It has since become a huge hit for the streaming service, its second week drawing 5.3 billion views and topping the Nielsen US streaming chart. It has also generated plenty of viral content, especially Tik Toks recreating the character’s dance moves.
While Netflix has yet to renew the show, there are reports that creators/show-runners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are already scouting locations, with plans in place for Season 2. And it’s not like the streaming service has a history of cancelling popular series it talks up and then abandons. Though the creators of ‘1899’ might have something to say about that. And ‘The Bastard Son and the Devil Himself’. And ‘Warrior Nun’. And…
Look, while Netflix has been winning few friends among creators for clearing the decks of shows it considers unsuccessful despite big fan campaigns to save them, ‘Wednesday’ is in a whole other league. It’s a genuine sensation, up there with the likes of ‘Stranger Things’ for the company. So don’t go worrying that Wednesday’s child will leave you full of woe and leave its streaming home for now.
UPDATE: The streaming service has now officially renewed the show, including a statement from creators Gough and Millar: “It’s been incredible to create a show that has connected with people across the world. Thrilled to continue Wednesday’s tortuous journey into season two. We can’t wait to dive headfirst into another season and explore the kooky spooky world of Nevermore. Just need to make sure Wednesday hasn’t emptied the pool first.”
Now showing on Netflix, ‘Wednesday’ represents the latest attempt to bring ‘The Addams Family’ to screens, and one that succeeds partly because of its star.
The Addams Family, which originated with Charles Addams’ single-panel cartoons and strips in the 1930s and 1940s, have long since been adapted in different formats, including TV series, a successful pair of movies and animated films.
Now comes ‘Wednesday’, which, rather than featuring the entire family (though they’re there at the start and in a key episode midway through), focuses instead on their eldest child.
Jenna Ortega stars as Wednesday, here presented in traditionally dark clothing and darker moods, more likely to be found studying autopsies that on social media like her classmates.
(L to R) Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams, and Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams in Netflix’s ‘Wednesday.’
As the show opens, she’s been kicked out of her latest school for punishing the water polo bullies who picked on her brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) by releasing piranhas in their pool.
Despairing of finding a place where she might actually fit in, her parents––stylish, vampy Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and squat, smooth Gomez (Luis Guzmán)––sign her up for Nevermore Academy, where they studied.
It’s seemingly perfect for her: a place for outcasts, creatures (such as werewolves and sirens) and those who society considers unusual to flourish with their peers. Yet even here, Wednesday feels like an outsider, initially unwilling to engage with the usual school activities outside of attending class.
Her roommate, Enid (Emma Myers), a werewolf with her own family issues, is perky and friendly, and at first gets on Wednesday’s last nerve. Then there’s Principal Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie), a former classmate of Morticia and Gomez, who still bears a grudge against them for some mysterious reason (it won’t surprise you that this gets explored during the season).
As she tries to make the best of it, slowly forming an unexpected social circle that shifts and warps in relatively traditional young adult fictional ways, Wednesday copes with the help of family aide Thing, a disembodied hand (played, with an effects assist, by Victor Dorobantu) bursting with personality who can say more with the flick of a finger than some can with a monologue.
And Nevermore has its own challenges beyond the usual cliques and classes––there’s a strange creature lurking around and pupils are disappearing and a dark history to the local town that Wednesday’s burgeoning psychic powers will unlock.
Created for TV by ‘Smallville’ veterans Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, this show also boasts the talents of Tim Burton, who would seem to be a natural fit for the ‘Addams’ style (he was actually offered the first movie but passed). And so it proves.
With sparky, entertaining scripts and suitably gothic production design, ‘Wednesday’ proves to be a winner, full of imagination and ideas that put it ahead of the game for its genre.
Though Burton is usually found putting his unique stamp on projects, here he resists that urge––it’s not missing entirely, but it’s certainly toned down. Call it just enough to help the show have a specific look.
Yet perhaps the main reason this succeeds the way it does is Ortega, who brings a dark vitality to the role. She completely owns the character, finding new layers (aided by the scripts and the show’s push to explore why she is who she is) to someone that we’ve seen before.
That’s no easy task considering that the cast also boasts Christina Ricci, whose Wednesday in 1991’s ‘The Addams Family’ and 1993’s ‘Addams Family Values’ is still considered the gold standard. Ortega never feels like she’s channelling Ricci, but their Wednesdays are complementary, springing from the same source.
Delivering certain lines as though they’re dripping with poison, and yet finding the humanity too, Ortega’s is an awards-worthy performance and more proof that she’s a rising star to watch.
Outside of Ortega, ‘Game of Thrones’ Christie puts in a solid performance as Weems, who is none too happy to have another Addams at the school. As for the family themselves, Zeta-Jones and Guzmán (whose Gomez is actually closer in design to the original cartoon strips than the movies’) do a lot with the little they’re given––because, after all, the show isn’t called ‘The Addams Family’. It’s fun to see them on screen, and the parents do pop in the episode focused on their past with Nevermore.
Myers’ Enid plays well off of Ortega, bringing extra joy to the screen whenever she graces it, while enthusiastic early friend Eugene (Moosa Mostafa) is also a fun addition.
Plus, while the character is usually a throwaway gag in scenes, Thing here has more of a part to play, serving as a confidante for Wednesday, while also sending intel back to the family. He’s brought to life in such a way as to totally seem real––he’s practically a magic trick, which makes sense since hand-actor Dorobantu is a magician in real life.
And, while he shows up later in the show, Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen) is also entertaining, though sometimes perhaps too much of Armisen creeps through at times.
The male contingent of the school makes less of an impact, blandly filling their part of the story and the show does sometimes fall into the pitfalls of the YA genre, with less-than-thrilling romantic subplots and a few stock characters. But thanks to Ortega and her castmates’ commitment, ‘Wednesday’ still works.
The show has been a big hit for Netflix––both in terms of viewers and viral content––and it’s not hard to see why. Season 2 would be a welcome surprise, as there’s plenty of story left to be told.
