Wednesday star Catherine Zeta-Jones was surprised by the runaway success of the Netflix show. Released this past November on Netflix, The Addams Family spin-off show focuses on the gothic teenager Wednesday, played by Jenna Ortega, as she moves into Nevermore Academy and attempts to solve a monster mystery at her new boarding school. Zeta-Jones guest stars on Wednesday as Morticia Addams, Wednesday's mother who also attended Nevermore Academy when she was younger and possesses similar psychic powers as her daughter.
During a recent interview on Lorraine (via Daily Mail), Catherine Zeta-Jones reflected on the runaway success of Wednesday season 1, which is one of the most-watched shows ever on Netflix. The Morticia Addams actress says she joined the production because of Tim Burton, though the show turned out better than anyone expected, including herself. For this, Zeta-Jones also credits her "marvelous" co-star Jenna Ortega. Read what she said below:
When Tim Burton asked me to do it, I was like, "Whatever you want me to do Tim!" and then the idea of me playing Morticia, who's such an iconic, wonderful, juicy character was wonderful. It turned out so much better than I think anybody anticipated. Jenna Ortega is just marvelous as Wednesday and through the eyes of Tim Burton it's a lot of fun. I'm really happy to be part of it I must say.
Why Wednesday Is Such A Huge Hit For Netflix
Wednesday season 1 is Netflix's second most-watched show ever behind Stranger Things season 4, racking up over one billion viewing hours to date. One of the main reasons why Wednesday has been such a huge hit for Netflix is because the show is based on widely recognizable intellectual property that has been around for nearly a century. Originally created by cartoonist Charles Addams in 1938, The Addams Family has seen countless film and TV adaptations over the years with the most iconic iterations including the 1960s television series and the 1990s films starring Christina Ricci as Wednesday.
Netflix's Wednesday is just the latest iteration of The Addams Family to make a significant impression on audiences, though that's not to say it merely rehashes the franchise. In fact, Netflix's Wednesday thrives because it reinvents the titular heroine without straying too much from the source material. Ortega's performance presents Wednesday as a more vulnerable and multidimensional protagonist without compromising her core satirical traits, as The Addams Family is famously a satirical inversion of the ideal American family. Beyond Ortega as Wednesday and Zeta-Jones and Morticia, the show features several other strong castings, including Gwendoline Christie as Principal Weems and Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams.
As Zeta-Jones points out, Wednesday's success can also be attributed to Burton, who directed four episodes and imbues the teen drama with his own signature gothic vision. This can be seen throughout many facets of the show, mainly its major locations, Nevermore Academy and Jericho. Through a combination of iconic IP, great casting, and creative leadership, the show has become a huge hit for Netflix and with Wednesday season 2 on the way, it could just be the beginning.
Source: Daily Mail