Hot off the heels of her roles in 2022’s Scream, Jenna Ortega is set to play the iconic character Wednesday Addams in Tim Burton‘s upcoming live-action series “Wednesday,” which will premiere exclusively on Netflix.
Described as a “spooky coming-of-age” story, the series’ star talked with The Hollywood Reporter about her role.
“To step into the shoes of somebody who’s a bit more eccentric and frightening has been really exciting for me, and definitely a challenge — especially with such a beloved character, I really want to take care of her and do her justice.” Ortega explains,
“The thing is, there are several different paths that anyone could have taken for this character,” the actress continues. “We’ve never seen Wednesday Addams as a teenage girl, so some of her harsh mannerisms may come off as hilarious when she’s younger, but as you get older, how much of that can you get away with? Or how do you keep that at the forefront of her personality without people growing to dislike her or find her annoying? So just trying to balance that … I’ve never felt so much pressure on a job, and I’m trying to keep my cool.”
“I think it’s probably the most physical transformation I’ve ever done; I cut my hair, and it’s black, and mannerism-wise, speaking cadence-wise, expression-wise, I’m trying to pull from a different toolbox this time around. I think it’s a surprise to the audience, but myself as well.” She continued.
Luis Guzmán and Catherine Zeta-Jones star as Gomez and Morticia Addams. “Game of Thrones” actress Gwendoline Christie, who will play the role of “Larissa Weems,” the principal of Nevermore Academy, The cast also includes Joy Sunday, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Moosa Mostafa, Georgie Farmer, Naomi J. Ogawa, Percy Hynes White, Jamie McShane, Thora Birch, and Riki Lindhome.
“Wednesday” is described as “a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at 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.”
Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (“Smallville”) are writing and serving as showrunners. Burton is directing.
