While Tim Burton's Wednesday has shocked the world by racking up a billion hours worth of views in under a month, it was always bound to happen. The show is based on Wednesday Addams, a character created by cartoonist Charles Addams for his 1938 comic The Addams Family. Wednesday later went on to be adapted for live-action in both 1964 and 1991, portrayed by Lisa Loring and later Cristina Ricci, who helped make the character a household name. Adapting the character for a modern audience was always going to be risky, but it's astonishing success proves that it should have happened sooner.
Since Wednesday season 1 premiered on November 23rd, the show has gone on to become a pop culture phenomenon. Not only has it become the second-most watched English-language Netflix series, but it has now received two Golden Globe nominations. Wednesday's success has also bled into social media, with TikTok feeds becoming flooded with fans in Wednesday Addams cosplays, recreating her iconic dance from episode 4, "Woe What A Night." Additionally, the series also stole a streaming record from Netflix's holy grail, Stranger Things, enjoying the largest opening week for an English-language series in Netflix history. While its popularity may leave some scratching their heads, here is why Wednesday's success should come as no surprise.
Wednesday Was Always The Breakout Addams Family Character
While each family member of the Addams Family is lovable in their own way, there is no denying that Wednesday has always been the most popular. Lisa Loring's initial interpretation of the character in the 1960s run of The Addams Family has the same quirky flare as later renditions, yet her Wednesday is far more sweet-natured. However, it wasn't until Cristina Ricci took on the role in 1991's The Addams Family that led to Wednesday becoming a gothic icon. Ricci made the role a tough one to follow with her more sadistic, dark-humored Wednesday widely considered by fans to be the best.
Wednesday's popularity left audiences wanting more, with the character having plenty of potential to be elevated further. However, the matter of casting was always the most important issue, and Jenna Ortega has proved herself to be the best fit. Now regarded as a modern scream queen, Jenna Ortega has solidified herself as one of the best young actors in Hollywood following her appearances in movies such as Scream (2022) and X. Her popularity alone would have been enough, but her grasp on deadpan humor and gothic image makes Ortega the perfect Wednesday Addams.
Tim Burton & Addams Family Should've Happened Sooner
Tim Burton and the Addams Family feel as though it is something that should have happened years ago, and it almost did. Burton was actually initially approached to direct the 1991 film, The Addams Family but turned it down due to scheduling conflicts with Batman and Batman Returns. Almost 20 years later, Illumination Entertainment acquired the rights to the Addams Family comic drawings and started to plan a stop-motion feature with Burton set to co-write and possibly direct. However, this was canceled a few years later, with no hope for a Tim Burton Addams Family project in sight.
In 2019 Wednesday showrunners Miles Millar and Alfred Gough sent a pilot script over to Tim Burton, and the show was later announced in October 2020. It's easy to see how the anticipation of a Tim Burton Addams Family project has contributed to Wednesday's record-breaking success. Burton's signature gothic style was always going to blend perfectly with the macabre nature of the Addams Family, it was just a matter of finding the right project to go ahead with.
Wednesday Modernizes Burton's Best Gothic Traits
Tim Burton quickly made a name for himself due to the array of gothic sensibilities within his work. Burton has previously stated that a lot of his influences stem from Hammer horror movies, writers such as Edgar Allen-Poe, and German Expressionism, which led to him creating his own unique visual style known as 'Burtonesque.' Burton often uses the gothic genre to juxtapose real life, contrasting surrealism with bright suburban backdrops, seen most predominantly in his short film Vincent and Beetlejuice. Wednesday works so well because it incorporates many of Burton's previous works and influences and brings them into a more modern setting.
For example, there are a handful of Edgar Allen-Poe references scattered around, from the school's name, Nevermore Academy to the giant statue placed there in his honor. Wednesday even relies on his writings to solve the mystery occurring around her. Also, Burton's influence ensured that the architecture of Nevermore adhered to gothic standards. Nevermore feels incredibly isolated from the town of Jericho, similar to how Edward's gothic mansion in Edward Scissorhands is such a stark contrast to the bright suburban town beneath it. While merging these elements with other parts of modern life, such as the mention of social media and blogging, might feel a little strange, it does a great job of bringing the gothic genre back into the mainstream.
Why Wednesday's Success Is Still A Little Surprising
Regardless of Wednesday's incredible success, there was always the risk that it might have failed altogether. Primarily this is due to the fact that the Addams Family had been relatively dormant for a while, with the 2019 animated The Addams Family film failing to maintain the same level of interest as its predecessors. Tim Burton also hasn't been as in-demand as he was in the 90s and early 2000s, with his last major project being Disney's live-action Dumbo remake in 2019. Notably, quite a few of his more recent works also weren't huge critical successes, which placed Wednesday in more uncertain hands.
Additionally, Netflix hasn't had the best track record of producing supernatural teen dramas. For example, while the streaming platform's The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series had its highs, its attempts to be relevant to a modern audience often felt forced and lacked quality each season. Consequently, it's not a surprise why some viewers may have felt as though Wednesday would have suffered the same fate, but instead, it has shown how to appeal to a modern audience impeccably.