Nevermore Academy is officially one faculty member short. According to Deadline, Thora Birch has vacated her supporting role on Netflix’s upcoming Addams Family spinoff, Wednesday.
The new show will focus on Wednesday Addams as she heads off to college and encounters a motley crew of students who all come from a supernatural background. Birch had a series regular role as Wednesday’s dorm mother, Tamara Novak, who also happens to be the only “Normie” on Nevermore’s staff. But what she lacks in paranormal abilities, she more than makes up for in botany skills, Sources indicate that Birch left the series due to a family illness. A rep for MGM also issued a new statement to clarify her decision:
“Thora has returned to the States to attend to a personal matter and will not be returning to the production,” the statement reads.
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Birch finished shooting most of her scenes in Romania. So in theory, she could still show up in the first season. However, the report notes that the series’ producers intend to create a new character to fill the void left by Birch’s departure rather than recast her role. So it’s also possible that the filmmakers will reshoot Birch’s scenes with this character and write Tamara out completely.
Jenna Ortega is headlining the show as Wednesday Addams. Luis Guzmán and Catherine Zeta-Jones are also co-starring as her famous parents, Gomez and Morticia. Tim Burton is directing the series and will also executive produce alongside showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar.
Netflix still hasn’t announced a release date for Wednesday.
Are you sad to hear that Birch is leaving the series? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Addams Family: An Evilution
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