Men in Black director Barry Sonnenfeld admits that before he was brought on board to direct 1991’s The Addams Family, Tim Burton was originally approached to helm the film. Sonnenfeld, who had earlier worked as a cinematographer on several films with the Coen brothers including Raising Arizona and Miller’s Crossing, made his directorial debut on Paramount’s cinematic reinvention of The Addams Family franchise. In 1993, Sonnenfeld also returned to helm the sequel Addams Family Values, and despite it receiving better reviews than his first film, it only brought in less than half the original’s domestic box office takings.
Based on the cartoons created by Charles Addams in 1938, over the years, The Addams Family has seen several live-action and animated adaptations, including the 1964 television series and a 1973 cartoon series. In addition to Sonnenfeld’s two films, the franchise has also seen a direct-to-TV movie starring Tim Curry, a stage musical, and two computer-animated films featuring the voices of Oscar Isaac and Charlize Theron. Earlier this year, it was also announced that Burton would be making a live-action Wednesday Addams series for Netflix, with YOU’s Jenna Ortega in the central role, while Luis Guzmán and Catherine Zeta-Jones will appear as Gomez and Morticia Addams.
Most recently, Sonnenfeld sat down with Variety for the 30th anniversary of his original film and made some surprising revelations regarding producer Scott Rudin’s original choice of director. Sonnenfeld revealed that before he was tapped, Rudin had approached both Burton and Monty Python alumni Terry Gilliam to direct. Check out his full comments below:
I will tell you that there were two other directors approached — Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam — and they’re both really good choices. But they both turned it down, so that’s how I ended up getting it. [Producer] Scott Rudin thought he wanted a visual stylist, not just a comedy director. He thought if I can’t get Tim or I can’t get Terry, I’ll get someone with a strong visual sense.
While it is not at all surprising that Burton would be at the top of any producer’s wish list to helm an Addams Family film, at the time, he found himself having to turn down the opportunity as he was busy working on his Batman sequel, Batman Returns. Similarly, Gilliam himself was also preoccupied with work on the critically acclaimed The Fisher King, which starred Robin Williams. Ultimately, however, things worked out in Sonnenfeld’s favor and he would go on to reinvigorate the property for a whole new generation of fans who would forever connect Christina Ricci, Raul Julia, and Anjelica Huston as Wednesday, Gomez, and Morticia Addams.
Thankfully for fans of Burton’s work, however, he too finally is getting his chance to put his stamp on The Addams Family legacy after all these years. Focusing on undoubtedly the most interesting character in the family, Burton’s Netflix series is sure to offer fans a whole new take on the franchise which has never been seen previously. It is also ironic that while The Addams Family marked Sonnenfeld's debut as a feature film director, Wednesday will similarly mark Burton's debut as a television series director. As one of the most unique filmmakers working today, Burton’s strong gothic sense and visual sensibilities are sure to translate well to the source material when Wednesday hits Netflix.
Source: Variety