Of all the questions around Netflix’s new Addams Family series Wednesday, the one that really should be answered is how it has taken so long for Tim Burton to get involved with the ooky kooky characters as there seems to be no better fit. For Burton himself though, the perfect pairing seems to be actress Jenna Ortega and her titular role as Wednesday Addams, the dour daughter of Morticia and Gomez.
In a new featurette released by Netflix ahead of the show’s premiere, Burton is one of those who discusses the show and he has made it clear to see that when it came to the casting of Scream star Ortega, there was no one else who he feels would have the same gravitas in the role. He said:
"She's like a silent movie actress in the sense where she's able to convey things without words. To see the inner life and the subtleties was very exciting. And that's why we're very lucky to have Jenna because I can't imagine any other Wednesday."
It is not only Burton who has a lot of praise for the young actress, as previous Wednesday actress Christina Ricci has also given her seal of approval to her new counterpart in a recent interview. As Ricci is seen by many as the benchmark for all future Wednesdays thanks to her appearance in 1990s The Addams Family and its sequel, Addams Family Values. Now it looks like Ortega is about to bring a new iteration of the character to life that is going to be every bit as popular as her predecessor.
Wednesday Has An All-Star Cast, But Has Not Revealed One Member.
Wednesday will be a brand new story based on the classic comic strip cheated by Charles Addams, which involves a teenage Wednesday attending Nevermore Academy, where she uncovers mystery, intrigue and a secret connected to her own family. One mystery for fans though is who will be playing Uncle Fester in the series, as so far Netflix have refused to reveal who will be taking on the role. Other cast members have been known for some time and were recently seen in the first trailer and images from the show, including Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia and Luis Guzman as Gomez. Speculation over exactly who will be playing Fester and why Netflix have felt it necessary to keep the actor’s identity a secret has been all over social media in the last week, and there is not much longer until we discover the truth behind the casting.
Christina Ricci will be appearing in this new show, taking on the role of Marilyn Thornhill, but as of yet what her part entails has not been disclosed. Other stars appearing in the show include Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley, George Burxea as Lurch, Victor Dorobantu as Thing, Gwendoline Christie as Principal Larissa Weems, Jamie McShane as Sheriff Galpin, Percy Hynes White as Xavier Thorpe, Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin, Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair, Joy Sunday as Bianca Barclay, Naomi J. Ogawa as Yoko Tanaka, Moosala Mostafa as Eugene Ottinger, Georgie Farmer as Ajax Petropolis and Riki Lindhome as Dr. Valerie Kinbott.
Wednesday will debut on Netflix this Fall.