Wednesday became Netflix’s surprise hit of 2022. After some middling animated films in recent years, this sharp, modern and slick reboot catapulted The Addams Family back onto screens for the first time since the 1990s.
The smartest decision was to pivot focus to Wednesday Addams and, more specifically, Jenna Ortega. Between her cutting stare, deadpan delivery and twitchy dance moves, her take on the death-obsessed outcast is a prickly thorn rooted in modern sensibilities. But will there be another adventure for everyone’s favourite gothic teen?
Has a second season of Wednesday been confirmed?
You betcha
Netflix announced at the start of 2023 that their second most-streamed English language series ever would return for more episodes.
In an exclusive interview with Netflix’s in-house publication Tudum creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar said: “It’s been incredible to create a show that has connected with people across the world. Thrilled to continue Wednesday’s tortuous journey into season two. We can’t wait to dive head first into another season and explore the kooky spooky world of Nevermore. Just need to make sure Wednesday hasn’t emptied the pool first.”
When will Wednesday season two be released?
Production has broken records
Part One of the hit Netflix show will drop on August 6, before Part Two follows on September 3. The first episode is called ‘Here We Woe Again’ and has been directed by Tim Burton.
For Wednesday season two, production moved from Romanian to Ireland and become the “largest production to ever film in Ireland” when considering spend [via The Independent]. Filming began in July 2024 and wrapped at the start of December.
Taking a break from filming, Ortega was spotted hanging out with some sheepdogs at a local farm in October while both her and Emma Myers were seen at Chappell Roan’s Dublin gig in September.
If you can’t wait that long, the first six minutes of season 2 are available to watch online now.
Where could Wednesday’s journey go in season two?
A stalker is at play
At the end of season one, Wednesday receives threatening messages sent from an unknown number on her newly-gifted smartphone. As she looks over the messages, including pictures of her having coffee and a text that says “I’m watching you”, Wednesday pleasingly announces she has her “very first stalker”.
The identity of this stalker will likely be the main mystery for season two, but there’s other unresolved plot threads. Did Tyler (Hunter Doohan) escape from police custody after being outed as the monster Hyde? Similarly, what is the fate of Laurel Gates after being covered in bees and arrested?
There might be room for a bigger spotlight on The Addams Family at large too. Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez Addams (Luis Guzmán), along with younger brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez), were largely sidelined in the first season but Netflix has confirmed all three have been promoted to series regulars for the second season, as has Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo’s Deputy Ritchie Santiago. A second outing could also mark the arrival of Cousin Itt, who is referred to briefly in the show’s seventh episode.
According to an official synposis, “Wednesday returns to prowl the Gothic halls of Nevermore Academy, where fresh foes and woes await. This season, Wednesday must navigate family, friends and old adversaries, propelling her into another year of delightfully dark and kooky mayhem. Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery.”
Who is returning for Wednesday season two?
One huge player has been cut but some big names have been added
Pretty much the entire cast is returning for Wednesday season two including Emma Meyers, Joy Sunday and Moosa Mostafa but Percy Hynes White (Xavier Thorpe) has been written out following misconduct allegations.
A host of new faces will be joining the cast though. Steve Buscemi, Billie Piper, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter and Noah Taylor are all new series regulars, while Joanna Lumley, Thandiwe Newton, Frances O’Connor, Haley Joel Osment, Heather Matarazzo and Joonas Suotamo will all guest over the course of Wednesday season two. Following Christina Ricci’s involvement in season one, fellow Addams Family star Christoper Lloyd is set to appear in season two.
Lady Gaga is also set to star in the second half of Wednesday season two as Nevermore teacher Rosaline Rotwood. Ortega has teased that Gaga’s role won’t be what you expect it to be. “I love that you never know what to expect from her, but you can always expect kindness and generosity.”
What have the cast and creators said about season two?
It could get darker
Ortega has expressed her hopes for a darker second outing for Wednesday.
“I kind of want her to be darker,” the actor told Entertainment Tonight. “I want her to get more in the nitty-gritty of things and not play things so safe, because there are a lot of lines about her saving the school and doing whatever, but for me, her main drive with the monster is of competitiveness. Kind of, ‘man, how’s this guy doing this?’ I think I want it to continue down an antihero stream rather than a typical hero.”
More recently, Ortega revealed that one episode has been inspired by slasher flicks. “We make a lot of horror references. So, everything about it, I feel like we kind of had a little bit more trust, and therefore, we felt like we could do bigger, more elaborate sequences, which is nice.”
“This season, Wednesday’s journey is darker and more complex as she navigates family, friends, new mysteries, and old adversaries, propelling her headlong into another year at Nevermore,” showrunners and executive producers Al Gough and Miles Millar said in a statement to Netflix shortly after season two wrapped.
Like death, the end is only the beginning. https://t.co/kPhGf1bd27
— Wednesday Addams (@wednesdayaddams) December 4, 2024
Co-showrunner Millar has also said a second season would put more of the family in the spotlight, while keeping the show’s focus on Wednesday. “We felt like we just touched the surface with those characters and the actors are so amazing in those roles,” Miller told TVLine. “Catherine is, I think, an iconic Morticia.
“The relationship between Wednesday and Morticia is also essential to the show, and the idea that Wednesday is trying to forge her own path outside the family is important.”
Miller added that they “definitely want to feature the family as we did this season in a couple of episodes if we were to get a second season”.
In regards to Wednesday, co-showrunner Al Gough has said the focus will remain on her growth moving forward. “The series is really about a girl who sees the world in black and white, and learning there are shades of grey. I think like any relationship or any friendship, it can get complicated by other factors. It’s never going to be smooth sailing. And it’s really her learning to navigate the ups and downs of friendship.”
Is season two the end of Wednesday?
Absolutely not
The cast and crew of Wednesday were still adding the finishing touches to season two ahead of a 2025 release when Ortega confirmed season three is already in the works. “We haven’t gotten an official thumbs up or anything like that, but I know that the writers are… With a show like that, you kind of want to get ahead of the game,” she explained. “So, I think that they’re kind of messing around and throwing out ideas.”
Shortly before season two aired, Netflix confirmed that Wednesday would be returning for a third season. “She would never leave you hanging,” explains the post on X while a poster warns that “bad things come in threes”.
Showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are also exploring a “top secret” spinoff. “It’s something we’re definitely noodling; there are other characters we can look at,” Gough told The Hollywood Reporter. “There’s a lot to explore in the Addams Family,” added Millar. Gough.