Following the overwhelmingly positive response to Netflix’s Wednesday trailer, the streaming service is inviting fans to take a closer look at the series. Reinvigorating the Addams Family mythos for a new generation of viewers came with its own set of pressures and expectations. But a new making-of featurette shows how the producers managed to create something unique while still honoring what came before.
Unsurprisingly, the series couldn’t have worked without the right actress embodying Wednesday Addams. But the filmmakers lucked out when they cast Jenna Ortega in the title role. Ortega herself acknowledged that a number actresses have played Wednesday “so flawlessly” in the past. So it was important for her to do something different with the character. That’s why she chose to portray Wednesday as “more socially awkward” than her predecessors did, with a self-confidence that’s “more concealed.”
The video also features new sit-downs with creators/executive producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who promised that Wednesday isn’t intended to be a remake or a reboot of The Addams Family. Instead, Millar calls it “a new chapter” in her life. Gough adds that it’s “really a show about exploring [Wednesday’s] journey into adulthood,” something both creators already have experience with from their time on Smallville.
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Director Tim Burton also discussed the visual tone of the series compared to previous incarnations. It’s no secret that Burton himself has his own distinctive visual style. Regardless, he wanted to pull back from the “cartoony” aesthetics displayed in earlier versions of The Addams Family and give the show more of a real-world flavor. And that was key to securing his involvement.
Taking a story with supernatural themes and grounding it in reality wasn’t easy. However, it seems as though all of the major players strove for as much authenticity as possible. Ortega even took fencing and cello lessons to better perform Wednesday’s extracurricular interests. She also focused on nailing more subtle characteristics like her walk. In the end, Ortega’s efforts seem to have impressed all of her collaborators, with Burton praising her ability to “convey things without words” like a silent movie actress.
Wednesday will premiere on Netflix this fall.
Are you excited to watch the series later this year? Let us know in the comment section below!
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