Netflix has put in an eight-episode order for Tim Burton‘s live-action Addams Family series focusing on the family’s female trouble maker, Wednesday Addams. According to Deadline, the series will be a detective mystery with supernatural elements. Penned by Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar, the comedy series –– which is named after the young character –– will follow the iconic character in her student years at Nevermore Academy as she attempts to stop a killing spree that terrorizes the local town, conquer her newly discovered psychic powers, and solve the strange mystery that trapped her parents Gomez and Morticia Addams nearly 25 years ago.
Burton will direct the series, his first live-action and TV directorial debut. He joins Gough and Miller as showrunners and executive producers on the show. Wednesday is produced by MGM/UA Television.
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“When we first heard Al Gough and Miles Millar’s pitch for Wednesday we were struck, like an arrow from a crossbow, right in our hearts. They nailed the tone, the spirit and the characters, but gave us a fresh way into this story,” Teddy Biaselli, Netflix‘s Director Original Series said, per Deadline. “We then got the call that visionary director and lifelong Addams Family fan Tim Burton wanted to make his television directorial debut with this series. Tim has had a history of telling empowering stories about social outsiders like Edward Scissorhands, Lydia Deitz, and Batman. And now he brings his unique vision to Wednesday and her spooky classmates at Nevermore Academy.”
Also attached to the series, Kayla Alpert (Code Black, Up All Night) along with a number of producers associated with the show’s IP, which is controlled by MGM/UA Television: Andrew Mittman for 1.21 (The Addams Family, Alphas), Kevin Miserocchi (Tee and Charles Addams Foundation), Jonathan Glickman for Glickmania (Respect, Addams Family 2), and Gail Berman (The Addams Family, Alphas).
Originally created in 1938, the oddball family’s tale has come a long way from its humble beginnings with American cartoonist Charles Addams. It’s been developed into two live-action TV series and a film franchise (a live-action version and animated). The most recent adaptation starring Charlize Theron earned a sequel, which is expected to be released this year.
Christina Ricci became the actress most commonly associated with the character after starring in the first feature film in 1991. She returned for the sequel Addams Family Values in 1993. Chloë Grace Moretz voiced Wednesday Addams in MGM’s 2019 animated movie The Addams Family.
