Thora Birch left the set of Tim Burton's Wednesday series early while filming for the Addams Family Netflix spinoff is still ongoing. The series is based on the notorious Wednesday Addams (portrayed by Jenny Ortega), the daughter of the eccentric Gomez Addams (Luis Guzman) and Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones). Wednesday will center on the sadistic daughter in the Addams Family, as she attends a magic boarding school named Nevermore Academy and attempts to harness her psychic abilities.
Birch, who's known for her roles in The Walking Dead and Hocus Pocus, was filming in Romania for Wednesday. She was cast as series regular Tamara Novak, Wednesday's dorm mother at Nevermore. However, Deadline reports Birch left filming early to return to the states to attend to a personal matter, according to an MGM representative. It is believed she filmed the majority of her scenes for the series prior to her departure. Showrunners on Wednesday are not looking to recast the role of Novak, but instead, want to add another character to the story. It's unclear whether or not they are looking for a replacement, but Birch doesn't plan on returning to set. Reports indicate she is dealing with an illness in her family.
Wednesday is a supernatural-infused mystery that is standing out from other Addams Family renditions by focusing on the young female character in the story. With Burton at the helm and a star-studded cast, Netflix is sure to have a popular hit with the series that will be spooky, kooky, and full of dark humor.
Source: Deadline