This holiday season, expect some Halloween energy. On the day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, the television series that follows Wednesday Addams, aka the most goth member of the iconic Addams Family, drops on Netflix. Since the series is, like so many things these days, based on an existing property, there are many things to know before its release if you’re curious. Below is a guide to everything you should know about Wednesday on Netflix, including the cast, creative team, and story.
What’s it about?
Despite its title, Wednesday is not about hump day. Netflix has kept much of the plot details under wraps, but here’s the official description for the comedy series, which gives us a little bit of context:
The series’ trailer, available at the top of the post, gives a little more insight into this plot as well.
What is Wednesday based on?
The Addams Family, of course. The Addams Family originated as unrelated cartoon characters by cartoonist Charles Addams published starting in 1938, some of which were published in The New Yorker. Over the past many decades, the family is still with us, and Wednesday Addams has become an icon all on her own. The 1960s sitcom made the spooky fam more famous. There was a cartoon show in 1970s, and then the incredible 1990s films, The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993). In those films, Christina Ricci’s performance as Wednesday turned the character into an icon. The 2010 Broadway musical was not a hit, but the Addams Family still reigns supreme: in 2019 and 2021 there were animated films, and now, there’s Wednesday. The Netflix series is mostly original, but will surely draw inspiration from the entire Addams Family canon.
Who’s in it?
Jenna Ortega stars in the titular role of Wednesday Addams. Joining her in the main cast are Gwendoline Christie in all her tall glory, Riki Lindome, and Isaac Ordonez. Catherine Zeta-Jones will play Wednesday’s mother, Morticia Addams, and Luis Guzmán is playing Gomez, and Fred Armisen is Uncle Fester. Other supporting roles.
Is Christina Ricci in this?
Yes. Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday Addams in the iconic 90s Addams Family films, is in Wednesday but she is not playing Wednesday Addams. Not much is known about Ricci’s character at the moment, but her character’s name is Marilyn Thornhill, and she is brand new to the Addams Family Universe (AFU), as are several characters in the series.
When does it come out?
Wednesday comes out on Netflix on Wednesday (hahah, get it)?!, on November 23.
Anything else?
Yes! There are still interesting things to know about Wednesday. The series comes from co-creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (they co-created Smallville and are credited on the Spider-Man 2 screenplay). The show is also executive produced by Tim Burton, who directed several episodes. Burton’s frequent collaborator Danny Elfman composed the show’s original music. Burton, a perfect match for the AFU, did not direct the 1991 film The Addams Family due to scheduling conflicts with Batman Returns. Finally, he got his chance with Wednesday.