Wednesday Is Ready to Bring Back the Supernatural and the Macabre

“I act as if I don’t care that people dislike me. Deep down, I actually enjoy it,” narrates Jenna Ortega, as she embodies classic gothic character Wednesday Addams. 

Netflix’s latest spooky venture, Wednesday, brings back TV’s favorite macabre family, but this time the Addams’ daughter is center stage. Played by certified “Scream Queen” Ortega, Wednesday is a teenager experiencing her first year at Nevermore Academy, the alma mater of her parents Gomez (Luis Guzmán) and Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones). 

There, she must learn to master her psychic abilities, solve a 25-year-old murder mystery, and put an end to a monstrous killing spree in her new school’s town, all while navigating the trials and tribulations of Nevermore Academy. You know, normal teenager things. 

Joining Ortega, Guzmán, and Zeta-Jones are Fred Armisen, Isaac Ordonez, and Victor Teodor Dorobantu to round out the Addams family cast of Uncle Fester, Pugsley Addams, and Thing. Whereas Gwendoline Christie, Jamie McShane, Percy Hynes White, Hunter Doohan, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Naomi J Ogawa, Moosa Mostafa, Georgie Farmer, Riki Lindhome, and Christina Ricci complete the rest of the show’s cast. 

Interestingly enough, Ricci played the Addams family’s only daughter in the 1991 film adaptation of The Addams Family. Also, the 2019 animated film adaptation, featuring Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Finn Wolfhard, and Chloe Grace Moretz, highlighted queer families in its promotion. So, fingers crossed that we have LGBTQ representation within this dark and campy TV series. 

Either way, queer and trans folks know what it feels like to be the “odd one out”. But like the trailer for Wednesday shows, we also grow to love and enjoy who we are, regardless of what the world thinks.

Executive produced and directed by acclaimed gothic fantasy filmmaker Tim Burton, Wednesday is sure to be a fall favorite this year. 

Wednesday premieres on Netflix on November 23, 2022.