After the runaway success of Netflix and Tim Burton‘s Addams Family stand-alone series Wednesday starring Jenna Ortega, the streamer renewed it for second season in January 2023. That decision came less than three months after the eight-episode Season 1 premiered, eventually becoming the most-watched original series ever on the streamer ever with more than 252 million views to date, far surpassing Stranger Things‘ Season 4, Dahmer and Season 1 of Bridgerton on the all-time list.
Season 1 ending up scoring 12 Emmy nominations, including for Ortega in Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, becoming just the third Latina to ever be nominated in a leading actress category. The series won four Emmys, though Ortega lost out to Abbott Elementary‘s Quinta Brunson on Emmy night.
When will Season 2 be released?
The Hollywood strikes in 2023 delayed a return to production for the MGM Television-produced series, but in November 2023 it was confirmed that shooting on Season 2 would begin in late April 2024 in Ireland. That’s a change from Season 1, which was shot in Romania (the series’ success made the location a tourist hot spot, but logistical challenges made a move inevitable). No premiere date on Netflix has been set yet.
How will Season 2 expand on Season 1?
Not much is known about the plot of Season 2. Creators Al Gough and Miles Millar hinted that there might be more Addams family members — confirmed by the cast during a Tudum appearance, though they wouldn’t say who — and the idea of an expanded universe is already in the works with a spinoff series revolving around Uncle Fester already in the works from Netflix and series producer MGM Television. Fred Armisen played Fester, the bald but soft-hearted brother of Gomez Addams, in a guest appearance in Season 1 when he showed up Nevermore Academy to help Wednesday and Thing out of a jam.
Gough and Millar also said that Wednesday’s relationship with her mother (played by Catherine Zeta-Jones in Season 1) might also get some more screen time in Season 2. Ortega, who is now also an executive producer, also suggested that the new season would have a stronger emphasis on horror over teen romance, which Season 1, er, flirted with a bit.
“I think everything is bigger,” Ortega said of Season 2 on the red carpet at the Emmys. “It’s a lot more action-packed. I think each episode will probably feel a little bit more like a movie, which is nice.”
Are the original cast members returning?
The studio has extended options on the main Season 1 actors while scripts are being written. That first-year cast was led by Ortega and included Gwendoline Christie, Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Hunter Doohan, Percy Hynes White, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Georgie Farmer, Naomi J. Ogawa, Christina Ricci, and Moosa Mostafa, with Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzman recurring as Morticia and Gomez, respectively.
Christie’s Principal Weems, Lindhome’s Dr. Kinbott and even Ricci’s Marilyn Thornhill aka Laurel Gates certainly seemed to be in dire straits by the end of Season 1, but can anyone really be ruled out future episodes given the series’ fantasy elements?
Are there any new actors joining the cast?
There has been only one announcement of new castmembers for Season 2: Steve Buscemi has joined in an undisclosed role. Stay tuned for more.
How to watch the series
Like the first season, Wednesday streams on Netflix, which offers three tiered plans: Standard with ads ($6.99/month), Standard ($15.49/month and Premium ($22.99/month).
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