In a rare move for the distinctively gothic filmmaker, Tim Burton will direct a live-action TV series for Netflix centered on the adventures of Wednesday Addams. The series, simply titled Wednesday, will be the first solo project featuring The Addams Family character who was a staple of the classic 1964 TV sitcom and became a fan favorite when she was portrayed by Christina Ricci in the 1991 film adaptation and its sequel The Addams Family Values. While Burton didn’t direct the 90s films, his work on Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and his pet project Frankenweenie make him a solid match to bring the live-action series to life alongside showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar, who also have experience in the young adult genre thanks to their work on Smallville. From Netflix:
The series is a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy. Wednesday’s attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town, and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.
MGM made a previous attempt to revive The Addams Family franchise with an animated movie back in 2019. However, that film which featured the surprisingly stacked voice cast of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Bette Midler, and Allison Janney made a lackluster impression on audiences and critics. With Burton at the helm and making his first major foray into live television, it’ll be interesting to see if Wednesday does a better job at scaring up eyeballs.