Tim Burton is one of the most famous directors in the world today, and his unique brand of filmmaking has kept him prominent in the industry since the 80s. Some of Burton’s big screen offerings are simply iconic, and he has legions of fans that continue to support his projects.
The director is making the transition to the small screen next year when he helms the Netflix project, Wednesday. The series will focus on the daughter of Gomez and Morticia Addams, and some details about the show have started to emerge.
Let’s look at what we know so far about Tim Burton’s Wednesday
Jenna Ortega Will Star As Wednesday
Tim Burton’s upcoming Wednesday is getting a lot of buzz, and one of the biggest questions about the show was who was going to be playing Wednesday Addams. The iconic character is going to be taking the lead here, after all, and the fans were curious to see who would land the character. It would be none other than Jenna Ortega who would land the role of the Addams’ daughter.
The 18-year-old Ortega has been making waves in entertainment for years now, and she has amassed an impressive list of credits during her time in Hollywood. She has appeared in movies like Iron Man 3 and Insidious: Chapter 2. She is also slated to appear in the next Scream film, which is set for release in 2022.
On the small screen, Ortega has been in projects like CSI:NY, Jane the Virgin, Elena of Avalor, Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous, and more. Landing the lead role in Wednesday is certainly another high-profile gig for the actress, and she is ready to do great things with the character.
On her social media, Ortega posted, “New chapter. Hope I can do Wednesday Addams justice.”
Given her body of work, it’s safe to say that she is going to knock this role out of the park. Ortega has already turned in some exceptional work during her career, and if Tim Burton is giving her the thumbs up, then you know that he saw something in her that will lead to a great performance.
As if this casting choice isn’t great enough, Burton will also be getting help from some folks who have worked with the creepy and kooky family before.
The Project Is Getting A Boost From Some Alumni
While this is a new chapter for the iconic family, it is interesting to learn that Burton is tapping into the well to bring Wednesday to life on Netflix.
According to Us Weekly, “Andrew Mittman, Gail Berman and Kevin Miserocchi, all of whom worked on the 2019 Addams Family, are set to executive produce alongside Jonathan Glickman, who's an executive producer on The Addams Family 2.”
These individuals all had a had in the previous projects, and they know a thing or two about making the family palatable for mainstream audiences. They will play a huge part in the new series getting off the ground, and it will make things a whole lot easier for Burton and the rest of the cast and crew.
At this time, there are no original cast members from the 90s movies on board, which is a shame. The fans would love to see even just a cameo in the series. Hopefully, something like this will take place.
Now that we know who’s on board, it’s important to take a look at what little we know about the plot of the show.
Wednesday Will Be Solving Some Crimes
Unlike past projects, it doesn’t appear that Wednesday will be a family affair. Instead of focusing on the family achieving something together, this show will seemingly focus on Wednesday herself getting things done at her school and her new town.
According to What’s On Netflix, “Wednesday Addams misadventures as a student at Nevermore Academy: a very unique boarding school snuggled in deepest New England. 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.”
This sounds like such a cool premise for a show, and the fact that Wednesday won’t be the only person tapping into the supernatural could make for some great secondary characters. It has a chance to expand the lore and do some fun things with Wednesday as she ventures into a new chapter in her life.
We have quite the wait for this series, but with Burton and Ortega on board, the hype is through the roof and the wait will be worth it.