Tim Burton has found his titular character for Wednesday, his live-action Addams Family spinoff. Jenna Ortega will be starring in the Netflix series directed by Burton and helmed by showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar (Smallville, Into the Badlands).
“New chapter,” the 18-year-old actress wrote on Instagram. “Hope I can do Wednesday Addams justice. *snaps twice*”
Back in February, Netflix picked up an eight-episode season of Wednesday, and shared the following synopsis:
“A sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday’s years as a student at the peculiar Nevermore Academy. 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 of the strange and diverse student body.”
Wednesday Addams has been portrayed by a number of actresses over the years. Lisa Loring played the character in the original ’60s sitcom, with Christina Ricci taking on the role in a pair ’90s movies. Most recently, Chloe Grace Moretz voiced Wednesday in the 2019 animated film, The Addams Family.
Ortega is best known for playing Young Jane in The CW rom-com, Jane the Virgin, and starring alongside Jennifer Garner and Édgar Ramírez in the 2021 Netflix movie, Yes Day. She also appears in the Scream revival due out next year.
Netflix hasn’t revealed the Wednesday premiere date yet. Stay tuned for more casting info.
