Jenna Ortega Becomes Producer Amid Script Disagreements

Netflix has released an official first look at Billie Piper’s new role in the upcoming second season of Wednesday, the gothic comedy series starring Jenna Ortega. The British star, 42, will play the role of Isadora Capri in the season 2 premiere, with the synopsis describing her as a “brilliant, enigmatic former child prodigy, now head of music at Nevermore.”

The character will take a special interest in Wednesday Addams’ (Ortega) musical ability while also coaching werewolf student Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers, who also returns for season 2). Isadora Capri is played by Piper, who is best known to horror fans for her role as Brona Croft/The Bride of Frankenstein in Penny Dreadful.

Netflix posted the first photos of Billie Piper on the set of Wednesday’s second season, alongside an official update on the future of the record-breaking series. Wednesday first arrived on Netflix in November 2022 and instantly became a global sensation. Boasting 252 million viewers worldwide, the series has now been declared Netflix’s most popular English-language series of all time. It was then renewed in January 2023 for a second season, which is set to premiere this August.

Wednesday is a dark reimagining of the classic Addams Family comics and cartoons, following the rebellious Wednesday Addams (22-year-old Jenna Ortega) as she starts at Nevermore Academy, a school for supernatural outcasts. It weaves together tropes from the horror, comedy, and teen drama genres, and was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from both fans and critics. Wednesday received Emmy nominations and established a cult following.

Wednesday Season 3 Renewal Confirmed, as Well as a Potential Spin-Off

Coinciding with the news of Billie Piper’s first look from Wednesday season 2, Netflix also confirmed several other exciting developments in the future of the series. Wednesday has officially been renewed for a third season, and a spin-off series is also on the table. Variety has reported that the series is in the early stages of development with other platforms, while talks with Netflix are also ongoing.

The Hollywood Reporter added that the spin-off is “definitely being considered, and conversations have taken place.” When asked by the outlet if Wednesday could extend into further seasons, series co-creator Alfred Gough replied, “It’s something we’re noodling; there are other characters we can look at.”

Fans of the show were quick to react to the news on social media, expressing huge excitement for what’s to come in season 3. Catherine Zeta-Jones, who plays Morticia Addams, shared the news on Instagram herself with a cheeky message: “When Wednesday comes, a better day. Wednesday season three. It’s official… we shall return.” The comments section was filled with fan reactions, such as: “And for many more seasons”, “I can’t wait to see the second season, I’m waiting for it with great curiosity… and the third is already official, fantastic news!”

Some viewers also hoped that filming would take place relatively quickly, so that there wouldn’t be another lengthy wait between the second and third seasons. Despite the show’s second season being announced in January 2023, the wait will still be over a year long (much longer than season 1’s two-month wait), leading to some requests for a shorter wait next time around. As one fan wrote, “I’ll be gripping the sheets in agony waiting, but please… don’t let us wait three years again.”

Tim Burton, 66, is set to return as an executive producer and director on the second season. He is also lending his directing talents to Beetlejuice, the long-awaited sequel to the cult 1988 film, starring Jenna Ortega. Meanwhile, Ortega has stepped up as a producer for season 2 following some recent controversy around her role on the show.

In an interview with Anna Faris’ In The Mom Zone podcast, Ortega admitted that she often had to “put her foot down” with the creative team because “sometimes I changed lines.” This led to some commentary from viewers who thought she was being disrespectful to her co-stars, but Burton came to her defense, and said people had taken her comments “out of context.”

Co-creator Alfred Gough later added: “It’s like, holy shit, she’s a producer.” Gough continued: “She is the brains behind this operation, quite honestly. As far as I’m concerned, she’s been a producer from day one… She was the last person to read scripts, so if there were things that she didn’t think were authentic, or the tone or the story, she would provide notes. She’s more in the producer chair than I am.”

The new cast members include Billie Piper, Lady Gaga, Steve Buscemi, Joanna Lumley, and Thandie Newton. Jenna Ortega will be joined by returning regulars Gwendoline Christie as headteacher Larissa Weems and Luis Guzmán as Wednesday’s father, Gomez Addams.

Joanna Lumley has shared her excitement to be joining the Wednesday universe: “There’s always something thrilling about working for Tim Burton. His whole mind takes him to a different world, and the world that they’ve created here for Wednesday and Nevermore and the family is just intoxicating.”