After gifting audiences with decades of lugubrious cinema, Tim Burton’s Wednesday made sure that his first TV show celebrated the Outcast of all Outcasts, Wednesday Addams. As it turns out, this particular Nevermore Academy outcast (portrayed unblinkingly by Jenna Ortega) carried mass cross-quadrant appeal, and the show easily became one of Netflix’s top-watched series of all time.
A speedy second-season green light followed, along with the announcement of an Uncle Fester spin off (starring Fred Armisen). What miserable events can we look forward to? Ortega has assured Netflix viewers that Wednesday “never really changes,” so we can expect much more of the same ingredients that made the first season irresistible. Let’s talk about could come next from our deadpan heroine.
Plot
For months, we’ve been hearing promises that this season will be darker than before, and to expect more “horror,” yet Jenna Ortega — who is promoting her role in Burton’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice arriving on Sept. 6 — has now painted a fuller portrait on the vibe to expect from the second season. While speaking with Vanity Fair, Ortega went beyond sparse hints and pointed towards an Edgar Allan Poe short story, “The Masque of the Red Death,” which was adapted into a 1964 movie. However, Ortega did stress that the show will not take a turn into being “the goriest show of all time” because “there’s six-year-olds watching.” Do expect to see the show having fun with the concept of jump scares, however, because “[w]e’re doing this thing now where Wednesday just kind of appears. She is a little bit of a jump scare herself.”
Burton and Ortega do appear to be a match made in hell, but in the best way. Ortega previously revealed how they settled upon Wednesday’s “Kubrick stare,” so it’s not difficult to imagine that the “jump scare” factor should be delicious in execution. Ortega has also moved into producing this season, and her fingerprints will be visible from the ground up, as she told TotalFilm:
“It’s so informative. There’s so many conversations that I had never been a part of before in terms of prosthetics, wardrobe, locations and things like that. It’s exciting. It’s different. It’s stimulating. I’m really fortunate to be in a line of work that I respect. And that’s just another side of it, which I’m curious about, and I would love to know more, and do more.”
The show is currently in the thick of filming in Ireland, rather than previous Romania stomping grounds. This season’s story will focus more on Wednesday developing human connection, including her mom-daughter relationship with Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) after mom realizes the power that is afoot.
Showrunner Al Gough has also spoken about how Wednesday will deepen her introduction into female friendship, which will continue to be unusual for the Addams daughter after moving into the very foreign (to her) act of hugging. Ortega has also suggested that Wednesday will look inward more to examine why “her main drive with the monster was a kind of competitiveness.” However, new dangers will lurk, along with a new central mystery for Detective Wednesday, as Nevermore Academy will remain under threat.
Fortunately, Gomez (Luis Guzman) will still be around with his Addams Dad energy to effortlessly drop nicknames for his “little storm cloud” daughter. Such levity will likely help smooth over any awkwardness around the newfound absence of Percy Hynes White, who Netflix dropped from the series following sexual assault allegations. Ortega has further admitted has resulted in “a weird redirect, but we’re introducing so many different characters that I think it kind of will get lost,” and also, this “world does feel slightly askew anyway.”
Cast
Netflix dropped a handy teaser video that revealed returning cast members that include Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Luis Guzman, and additionally, a not-yet-included member of the family will also make their debut, so cross your fingers for Cousin Itt. Fred Armisen’s name does not appear on the below list, but he’s been occupied with his Uncle Fester spin off.
Steve Buscemi will surface as the new Nevermore Academy principal. Additionally, Billie Piper, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter, and Noah Taylor will make their series debuts with guest stars such as Heather Matarazzo, Joanna Lumley, Haley Joel Osment, Thandiwe Newton, and Frances O’Connor. Those cast members falling off regular status not only include Percy Hynes White but also Jamie McShane and Naomi J Ogawa. Additionally, Netflix has not confirmed whether Uncle Fester will be back on Wednesday this season in addition to Armisen’s ongoing work on the spin off.
Release Date
Wednesday will make her gloomy return in 2025. No specific date yet, but perhaps we can collectively conjure that into existence.
Trailer
Although we probably won’t see a trailer for a few months, Netflix did compile a special “thank you” for the “misery” video that includes references to those dance moves and Wednesday Addams cosplayers: