Tim Burton’s Addams Family Spinoff Show Casts Its Wednesday

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Netflix has announced that the Addams Family spin-off series Wednesday has found its lead with You star Jenna Ortega in the titular role. The eight-episode series will center on the eldest Addams daughter as she is sent to the peculiar Nevermore Academy. While attempting to master her emerging psychic ability, she must also end a monstrous killing spree in the local town and solve the supernatural mystery her parents were caught up in 25 years ago. The series is being directed by Tim Burton in his TV debut and hails from showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar.

The modern king of gothic filmmaking has been attempting to get an Addams Family project off the ground for years. After initially having to pass on directing the first live-action film due to his duties on Batman Returns, Burton would return with a stop-motion film at Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures at the start of 2010. However, after two years of development, it was later revealed that the project had been canceled by the studio alongside adaptations of Where's Waldo? and Clifford the Big Red Dog, though no explanation was given.

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Announced via their Netflix Geeked account, the streaming platform decided to celebrate the mid-week day by announcing that Ortega had officially signed on to star in the titular role. Ortega also showed off a photo of herself with the script for the first episode, entitled "Chapter One." The photo can be viewed below:

Though a spin-off series might not sound quite as appealing as Burton getting his hands on the entire family and their adventures, Wednesday is still one of the most exciting projects the filmmaker currently has in the works. Given Netflix's strong reputation for the creative freedom they allot, the streamer not only seems like the perfect home for Burton's eccentric directorial style but also for him to make his TV directorial debut. Plus, with word swirling that Christina Ricci, who previously played a live-action version of Wednesday, is being eyed to star as the family matriarch Morticia, he could very well have a few tricks up his sleeves for long-time fans of the franchise.

Even with the eight-episode series seemingly done scripting and a director and star lined up, there's still a long road to go for Wednesday's arrival on Netflix. But given Ortega's frequent explorations of the terrifying and macabre in Insidious: Chapter 2, The Babysitter: Killer Queen, and her role in the upcoming Scream, she should deliver the exact brand of dark humor and menace fans expect from the titular role. In the meantime, audiences can at least look forward to Wednesday's animated return when The Addams Family 2 hits theaters on October 1 with Chloë Grace Moretz back voicing the character.