The Addams Family has been described as many things over the years – creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky. A collective of outsiders, their unconventional approach to life has long resonated with master of the macabre Tim Burton.
Now the director of much-loved gothic movies like Corpse Bride, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Beetlejuice has turned his attention to The Addams Family. Wednesday arrives, appropriately enough, on Wednesday, and, while Catherine Zeta Jones is perfectly cast as Morticia, this spin-off series focuses on the daughter of the family.
Jenna Ortega stars as the show’s eponymous lead, and she admits she shares similar interests to her character.
Deadpan delivery, apparently, ranks among Ortega’s many skills. “We have similar interests,” says Ortega, unblinking. “I think that we like mutilation. I think that we’re dry and sarcastic. I think that, urm, we’re both a bit socially awkward at times. So I think that it was cool; I put bits of myself in there.”
Describing Wednesday as having a “cartoonish quality”, Ortega says it’s the family’s unwavering ownership of their unconventional ways that has engaged audiences for decades.
“They’re bold, they’re confident, and they love one another. They’re kind of the healthiest family in America. There’s something that’s very attractive about that,” says Ortega.
Starring as Principal Larissa Weems, Game Of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie says her decision to join the project was something of a “no-brainer”.
“I’ve wanted to work with Tim Burton my entire life,” enthuses the 44-year-old, who goes on to describe the development of her “Hitchcock-style” character. “I do love playing those characters that tend to acutely experience the darker side of life.
“I knew this would be something very, very special…Larissa Weems is a woman in a position of power and control. I love that she is the principal of a school for outcasts – some people say I have been typecast in this role.”
Going on to describe Burton’s “playful” approach to film-making, Ortega says there was plenty of room for improvisation when it came to the project.
“I really adored the opportunity to create something new,” agrees Christie. “It was very interesting for me to play someone that is focused on the greater good. But at times, you wonder: is it really about protecting the school, protecting those children, about a set of ideals? Or is it in service of her own ego?”
Wednesday, Netflix, from Wednesday
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