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I am an English and Film major, cinephile, and aspiring writer! When I'm not buried in school work and lectures, I'm usually in the depths of streaming services and their plethora of film options. Or reading.
The new Wednesday teaser trailer just dropped and it is horrifically fantastic. From the mind of Tim Burton and the show creators, Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, comes a thrilling new series about the mischievous and young Addams Family daughter, Wednesday.
The Cast of Wednesday
After hearing about the show’s fruition (and before casting was announced), I daydreamt of what the perfect ensemble would look like alongside wunderkind Jenna Ortega. Knowing it’s a Tim Burton project, I perused the Burtonverse roster of actors and the idea of Helena Bonham Carter playing Morticia made sense. However, in an ideal world, she’d be tall enough to play the family’s matriarch. And maybe it’d be a little too awkward for Burton to phone his ex-wife about the acting opportunity, but that’s neither here nor there. Nevertheless, the slinky Gothic dress and matching pumps were passed along to Catherine Zeta-Jones, another perfect contender for Morticia.
The show’s ensemble for the Addams Family also consists of some other star-worthy players like Luis Guzmán as Gomez and Isaac Ordonez as Wednesday’s little brother Pugsley. However, the spotlight shines on Jenna Ortega, Gen Z’s new shiny diamond and star of the show. At only 19 years old, Ortega has built quite the oeuvre, with her most recent works being A24’s X and Megan Park’s The Fallout. Based on the teaser trailer alone, Ortega’s Wednesday deviates somewhat from other Addams Family productions and portrayals, but it’s also not entirely new. She’s still the broody young teen with evil motives and a malevolent smile. It’s the perfect in-between mix of the original magazine cartoon by Charles Addams and a new face to be associated as Gen Z’s own Wednesday.
According to Deadline, Christina Ricci (the most recognized Wednesday Addams) also joins the series, yet her role remains unknown. Uncle Fester is another character most people are yearning to learn more about (i.e. who’s playing him and how his role fits into the show revolving around his niece). However, the creators advise that if you want all of your questions answered, just… watch the show.
What We Know about Wednesday and the Addams Family
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Millar and Gough talk about their new project and what it was like passing the creative direction to Burton. They stress that it’s not a reboot or a remake; “It’s something that lives within the Venn diagram of what happened before, but it’s its own thing.” They basically say to expect an eight-hour-long Tim Burton movie. The show’s storyline centers around a string of mysterious murders in town and how Wednesday balances those battles along the average adolescent’s most daunting villain: high school. Shudder.
I’ve noticed a few quick shots from the teaser that allude to a potential teen love plot and maybe some typical mean girl drama. Whatever grave Wednesday finds herself knee-deep in, I’m sure it’ll be an exciting journey for her as well as for us. As long as it includes some stabbing, because Wednesday does like stabbing.
The teaser begins with Wednesday terrorizing a team of water polo players in the swimming pool with deadly piranhas because, according to her, “The only person who gets to torture my brother is me.” After being expelled from eight schools within five years, her parents decide to place her in the Nevermore Academy. This is where all the fantastical magic happens, like cello-playing, creepy dancing, and disgustingly large spiders. Oh, and a whole lot of blood.
The family dynamic of the Addams family is canonically important. With Morticia and Gomez’s undying love for one another, and Wednesday and Pugsley’s twisted yet unconditional sibling love, the value of family is not to be messed with when it comes to the Addams. How Wednesday maneuvers through the importance of family while dealing with school and other young teen tribulations could be a big theme in this new series.
As a comedy-horror, expect the usual darkness and Tim Burton’s famous eccentricity. But heed what Millar and Gough have to say: it’s its own thing. A nightmare “full of mystery, mayhem, and murder.”
Netflix’s Wednesday series is set to release sometime this Fall.
I am an English and Film major, cinephile, and aspiring writer! When I'm not buried in school work and lectures, I'm usually in the depths of streaming services and their plethora of film options. Or reading.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.