In February 2021 we reported that Netflix won the bidding war for the upcoming Tim Burton-directed Addams Family TV show, Wednesday. In the time since the announcement was made, the role of Wednesday Addams has finally been cast. We’re going to be keeping track of everything you need to know about Wednesday, including the plot, casting news, production updates, and the eventual Netflix release date.
Wednesday is an upcoming Netflix Original family fantasy show directed by the legendary Tim Burton. Netflix won the bidding war for the show, beating all of its competitors to earn the exclusive global distribution right. The creators of the series are Al Gough and Miles Millar.
It has already been announced that MGM TV is the production studio behind the development of Wednesday, with Burton on board as an executive producer alongside his duties as a director. Burton is accompanied by Jon Glickman, Andrew Mittman, and Gail Berman as fellow producers on the Original.
The release of Wednesday will mark a special occasion in Tim Burton’s career as the show will be his TV directorial debut.
What is the plot of Wednesday?
The official loglines for the series have been revealed by 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.
Who are the cast members of Wednesday?
The role of Wednesday Addams has finally been revealed. Taking on the iconic role is Jenna Ortega, who Netflix subscribers should recognize by now.
Happy Wednesday! @JennaOrtega will play the iconic Wednesday Addams in our upcoming live-action Wednesday series, directed by Tim Burton. pic.twitter.com/yQRJXgnUo4
— Netflix (@netflix) May 19, 2021
Ortega has starred in multiple Originals for Netflix. She is most recognizable for her role as Ellie in the second season of You, Phoebe in The Babysitter: Killer Queen, and Katie Torres in Yes Day. She is also the voice of Brooklyn in the popular Jurassic World animated series Camp Cretaceous.
Outside of Netflix, Ortega has also featured in popular titles such as Disney’s Elena of Avalor, The CW’s Jane the Virgin, and the MCU movie Iron Man 3.
Who is in the rest of the cast?
It took a little longer than expected, but we finally have our Morticia and Gomez Addams cast in Wednesday! Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones will be taking on the iconic role of Morticia Addams, and Luis Guzmán will be playing her on-screen husband Gomez Addams.
Our Addams family is expanding!
Catherine Zeta-Jones will step into the iconic silhouette of Morticia Addams while Luis Guzmán will bring to life the debonair Gomez Addams in the upcoming TV series Wednesday, starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams and directed by Tim Burton. pic.twitter.com/MiofyWIbwy
— Netflix (@netflix) August 9, 2021
The names of multiple supporting roles have been revealed, and casting is currently ongoing.
- Enid Sinclair – Enid is a werewolf, but you would never know it thanks to her Californian smile and sunny disposition. Enid is the roommate of Willa and the complete opposite of her. Wearing heart-shaped, rose-colored glasses, she dresses in the school’s purple uniform accessorized with velvet scrunchies and rainbow-colored nails.
- Tyler Galpin – Tyler is smart and sensitive but has a very dysfunctional relationship with his sheriff father, who after the death of his mother as a child was left to be raised by his abusive father. Tyler is a “normie” who works part-time at the Weathervane Cafe. He has dreams of leaving the town for good when he finishes high school.
- Xavier Thorpe – Xavier comes from wealth and privilege, which is shown through his preppy artistic swagger and his handsome charm. Just like Tyler, he is fascinated by Willa. Xavier is also a talented artist and expert fencer.
- Bianca Barkley – Bianca is the closest thing that the academy has to royalty, and it shows in her attitude. As a Siren, Bianca has the ability to morph her body between scales and skin. Bianca is frequently at odds with Willa, but there’s a lot more to the Siren underneath her scaled exterior as her life has been far from easy.
- Principal Weems – Principal Weems constantly clashes with Willa, who she believes is a trouble maker, and very reluctantly accepted her into the academy. While to the other students her demeanor is warm, she hides her true feelings like a skilled diplomat.
- Dr. Kinbott – Dr. Kinbott can be considered eccentric thanks to her love of roadkill taxidermy, Diptyque candles, and cashmere ponchos. Despite her eccentricities, Dr. Kinbott is a thoughtful, perceptive, and professional therapist, who takes a keen interest in her latest patient Willa.
- Sheriff Galpin – A former high-school athlete, Sheriff Galpin is the single-father of teenager Tyler. Time has not been kind to the Sheriff as gravity and alcohol have taken their toll. A cynical and frustrated man, he is sometimes abusive to his son. When a series of bizarre murders happen near the academy, Sheriff Galpin is determined to connect the grizzly deaths to the school.
- Ms. Novak – The only “normie” teacher of the entire academy, Ms. Novak is the dorm mother and the A.P. Bio teacher. Smart, quirky, and perceptive, she feels a particular connection to Willa.
When is Wednesday coming to Netflix?
All we can do at this stage is speculate when Wednesday will be coming to Netflix as it is far too early for any official release date to be announced.
At the earliest, we could potentially see Wednesday arrive in the Fall of 2022. A Halloween-themed release would be very apt given the character of Wednesday Addams, but it’s still a stretch. However, it’s more likely we’ll see the series land in late 2022 or early 2023.
What is the production status of Wednesday?
Official Production Status: In Development (Last Updated: 20/05/2021)
We have our Wednesday Addams, but we’re still waiting on the remaining cast members to be announced, which means the wait for filming to begin continues.
Given the fact that the role of Wednesday Addams has been cast, it won’t be long before see some major updates on the production of Wednesday soon.
What is the episode count for Wednesday?
It has already been confirmed that the first season of Wednesday will have a total of eight episodes.
The runtime of each episode is approximately 60 minutes.
Is Wednesday a Limited Series?
It still remains unclear if Netflix will only receive one season of Wednesday.
There’s no doubt in our minds that Wednesday is going to be extremely popular with subscribers, and is likely going to be one of the biggest Originals released on Netflix since Stranger Things, The Umbrella Academy, and The Witcher.
The idea of a second season is likely to rest heavily in the hands of Tim Burton, who has the reigns on the series as showrunner, director, and executive producer.
Are you looking forward to the release of Wednesday on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
