Previous Wednesday Addams' actor Christina Ricci revealed how she feels about the latest portrayal of the iconically morose character by Jenna Ortega in Netflix's Wednesday. Ricci embodied the sole daughter of the Addams Family in 1991 when she was ten years old for the hit supernatural black comedy The Addams Family and reprised the role in 1993's Addams Family Values; both earned her universal praise and propelled her to stardom. Ricci has returned to the franchise that first catapulted her acting career in the new spin-off television show helmed by prolific gothic filmmaker Tim Burton, this time taking on the role of a Nevermore Academy teacher, Ms. Thornhill, as Ortega takes on the beloved tile role.
While speaking to Elle, Christina Ricci made it clear that she is thrilled to pass the torch of Wednesday Addams to her co-star and one of gen-z's fastest-rising stars Jenna Ortega. Despite being best known for her hilariously morbid and deadpan portrayal of the precocious Addams family daughter, Ricci appears to be proud to share the association with the latest actor to tackle the role, especially given how much the part has been adapted for its 2022 audience. Check out what Ricci had to say below:
"[Ortega is] truly incredible at making Wednesday a modern badass. I loved being Wednesday. I’m very proud of that role. I also think Jenna Ortega is amazing. She is so brave, so cool, and really doing the part justice. Wednesday is her part now...[and] those two things can be true at the same time!”
The Differences Between The Two Portrayals
While Ortega's depiction of Wednesday includes nods to the original versions of the character, many of which specifically honor Ricci's portrayal, the role has been modernized and given more complexity and depth. The show accomplishes this by removing Wednesday as a member of the larger Addams family ensemble and making her the star of her own diverging storyline as she comes of age at Nevermore Academy. While the creative team behind Wednesday has given the titular character a new look, including straight dark bangs in addition to her classic pigtails, and an updated, though equally colorless, wardrobe, the emotional core beneath the character's cold aura has also been reworked. The series sees Wednesday work with a therapist to unpack her relationship with her mother, find ways to relate to and bond with those who are her diametric opposite (like her bubbly and perpetually optimistic roommate Enid), and retire her penchant for torturing her brother Pugsly in favor of helping her community by solving a series of murders.
While these changes offer a portrayal of the character that departs from its iconic past iterations, they are necessary for producing a compelling and emotionally resonant series for a new generation of viewers living in a more mental-health-conscious era. It is always a risk to tweak the version of any figure that a built-in audience has come to know and love, but the reception to Wednesday speaks for itself. Within its opening week, the show has surpassed the viewership of fellow Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things, taking the record for the most hours viewed in a week for any English-language TV series on the streaming platform, and has continued to maintain rave reviews from critics and fans alike.
Will There Be A Season 2 Of Wednesday?
In true Netflix fashion, the streaming service has yet to officially announce a season 2 of Wednesday, despite the immediate success of its first eight episodes. Even so, the team behind the hit series has indicated their confidence that there are more adventures to come from fans' favorite gloomy hero, with co-showrunner Miles Millar even publicly teasing some potential storylines for Wednesday season 2. If the rapid triumph and risk-reward of Wednesday season 1 is anything to go off of, fans will not have to wait for long before receiving word that a season 2 has been greenlit.
Source: Elle