Wednesday: Christina Ricci Praises Tim Burton and Jenna Ortega in Addams Family Spinoff
Actor Jenna Ortega has big shoes to fill by playing Wednesday Addams in the upcoming Addams Family spinoff Wednesday, not only because of the character's history, but also because the character was previously played by the acclaimed Christina Ricci, but even Ricci herself is impressed with Ortega's work, recently expressing how delighted she was by the performer. Not only is Ricci reuniting with the world of the Addams Family by starring in the upcoming series, but it also sees her reuniting with former collaborator Tim Burton, who she was also delighted to work with again. Wednesday is expected to debut on Netflix later this year.
"I was beyond flattered, particularly because it is Tim Burton and I respect and admire Tim so much," Ricci recalled to Deadline. "So, to have him ask me to come back and play this part in that world was really gratifying on a sentimental level."
Ricci previously worked with Burton on the 1999 adaptation Sleepy Hollow. In the animated The Addams Family films, Wednesday was voiced by Chloë Grace Moretz.
"She's so incredibly talented and professional, and really seems to love film and TV making, and is involved in every step along the way of the show," Ricci shared of Ortega. "And her Wednesday is a really, really great, smart, modern take on that character."
The series is set to explore Wednesday's time at the Nevermore Academy, with previous incarnations of the character in movies and TV shows exploring a slightly earlier point in Wednesday's history.
Despite how familiar audiences might be with Wednesday Addams, Ortega herself previously shared what makes this version of the character different from other interpretations.
"We've never seen her as a teenage girl," Ortega explained to Entertainment Weekly. "You know, it's funny and sweet and almost charming to hear this eight-year-old's obsession with murder and blood and guts. As she gets older, that nasty attitude or [those] biting remarks, it's almost kind of hard to not make it sound like every other teenage girl. So, it's like, how do we establish this character and give her the same fire without letting her become something that she's not? Also, it's eight-hour series so, for an emotionless character, there has to be some sort of an emotional arc."
She added, "That's been really interesting to figure out in terms of, okay, well, she's got to be able to push the story forward in some way but how do we keep her true to her deadpan self? It's been a bit of a challenge and I'm curious to see how it plays. I've never had the opportunity to play an iconic character before. I know she's well-loved and well-respected and I just don't want to mess her up."
Stay tuned for details on Wednesday before it premieres later this year.
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