On Wednesday, we wore black and watched the latest behind-the-scenes look at Tim Burton’s Netflix series, centered on Wednesday Adams. In it, film geek gurus like Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands discuss Wednesday star Jenna Ortega’s version of the classic Charles Adams character.
“Of course, Wednesday was the quintessential loser. What she saw was very black and white, mostly black,” Burton said in the video, which you can watch below. “In past incarnations, it was very cartoonish. So in this longer form, we’re just trying to make it happen, which I really like.”
Currently, in films like Ti West’s X and the latest Scream, Ortega is on the rise as the scream queen, and she knows she wants to differentiate herself from previous releases. “It’s really important to me to do something different, even though she’s done it so perfectly in the past,” she said. (Christina Ricci — the actress most people associate with the role — was also cast in “an exciting new role” Wednesday.)
“She’s a little awkward socially. Confident, but more discreet,” Ortega continued. “Wednesday is technically a Latino character and has never been portrayed. Anytime I get a chance to represent my community, I want it to be seen. Wednesday is someone I’m always comparing.” (Number of reps Victory for the Inadequate Goth Girl and her family!) Luis Guzman also plays Gomez Adams and Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Morticia Adams. Puglsey is played by newcomer Isaac Ordonez.
Burton explained that it’s really exciting to combine Wednesday’s being the most ironic and loyal member of the Adams family with the reality of Gen Z, and Ortega has what it needs. “She’s like a silent movie actress in the sense that she can communicate things without words. It’s exciting to see the inner workings and the intricacies. I can’t imagine any other Wednesday.”
