Jenna Ortega has spoken out about Wednesday Season 2.
Wednesday, the Netflix series that debuted on November 23, 2022, quickly became a streaming sensation. Directed by Tim Burton and centered around the iconic character Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family franchise, the series captured widespread attention and acclaim almost immediately after its fall release.
One of the most notable aspects of Wednesday‘s success was its rapid ascent to the top of Netflix’s viewership charts. Within its first week, the series amassed millions of viewing hours, surpassing previous records for Netflix’s English-language TV shows, including those held by The Duffer Brothers’ pop culture phenomenon Stranger Things.
In its debut week, it became one of the most-watched series, drawing in a vast audience with its unique blend of dark humor, gothic aesthetics, and intriguing mystery elements.
The series’ success can be attributed to several factors. Jenna Ortega’s portrayal of Wednesday Addams was highly praised, resonating with both new viewers and longtime fans of The Addams Family. Her performance was often highlighted as a standout, bringing a fresh yet faithful interpretation to the beloved character.
Additionally, the involvement of Tim Burton, known for his distinctive visual and storytelling style and many collaborations with actors like Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, and Helena Bonham Carter, contributed to the show’s appeal.
Social media buzz also played a significant role in Wednesday‘s streaming success. Memorable scenes, particularly those showcasing Ortega’s deadpan delivery and quirky dance sequences, went viral, further driving interest and viewership. The show’s ability to generate viral moments helped sustain its popularity and kept it in the public eye long after its initial release.
Speaking to Vanity Fair, the buzzy rising star addressed multiple matters about her record-breaking Wednesday TV show. The actress broke her silence on the removal of Percy Hynes White, the actor who played austere artist Xavier Thorpe in the first season of the Netflix series.
Hynes White was accused of sexual assault in early 2023, with victims alleging “he threw parties where he assaulted underage girls after giving them drugs and alcohol,” per Vanity Fair. Hynes White said the allegations were a “campaign of misinformation.”
Regardless of his position, the actor was subsequently exiled from Tim Burton’s show, and in her interview with the magazine, Ortega spoke about her former co-star’s exit.
“[It’s] a weird redirect, but we’re introducing so many different characters that I think it kind of will get lost,” Ortega said. The actress added that her character’s “world does feel slightly askew anyway.”
That’s not all Ortega addressed. In 2023, she herself was the center of controversy after her now-infamous March appearance on Dax Shepard and Monica Padman’s Armchair Expert podcast. The former scream queen revealed in the interview that she became “almost unprofessional” on set, rewriting and altering the scripts to suit her view of the character.
“Everything that she does, everything that I had to play, did not make sense for her character at all,” Ortega said on the podcast, per Vanity Fair.
“Her being in a love triangle made no sense. There was a line about this dress that she has to wear for a school dance and she said, ‘Oh, my God, I love it. Ugh, I can’t believe I said that. I literally hate myself.’ And I had to go, ‘No, there’s no way.'”
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Ortega acknowledged her friction with the writing team and, over a year later, has now addressed her statement and the backlash it received. She said:
“I probably could have used my words better in describing all of that. I think, oftentimes, I’m such a rambler. I think it was hard because I felt like had I represented the situation better, it probably would’ve been received better.”
Ortega refers to the criticism she faced from the writing community, with many responses to her comments hitting social media in a fiery storm. From BoJack Horseman scribe Nick Adams to The Bear‘s Karen Joseph Adcock, writers and producers from across the industry weighed in on the issue.
Wednesday Season 2 entered filming production in Ireland back in May 2024. This came after the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) shut down in 2023. Ortega has already explained that the new season has a different beat than the first, likening it to being more like mini-movies versus TV episodes.
After telling Laverne Cox on the Emmy red carpet that Burton’s second season of Wednesday is leaning more into horror, Ortega stated that the future series is “a lot more action-packed” and that “each episode will probably feel a little bit more like a movie, which is nice.”
The success of Wednesday can not only be attributed to its eponymous character.
Tim Burton’s series is stacked with talent, including Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán as her parents, Morticia Addams and Gomez Addams, Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair, Joy Sunday as Bianca Barclay, Georgie Farmer as Ajax Petropolus, Naomi J. Ogawa as Yoko Tanaka, Gwendoline Christie as Principal Larissa Weems, Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams, Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin, Jamie McShane as Donovan Galpin, and Christina Ricci as Marilyn Thornhill/Laurel Gates.
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For the second season, new actors will enter the world of Nevermoor Academy, with Steve Buscemi (Boardwalk Empire), Thandiwe Newton (Westworld), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Joanna Lumley (Fool Me Once), Frances O’ Connor (The Twelve), Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense), Heather Matarazzo (Roseanne), and Joonas Suotamo (The Acolyte) joining the cast.
Wednesday not only became one of Netflix’s top-streamed shows but also reinvigorated interest in The Addams Family franchise, ensuring its relevance for a new generation while satisfying longtime fans. Its impressive streaming numbers and cultural impact underscore its status as a significant success in Netflix’s catalog. Wednesday is produced by Tim Burton Productions, Toluca Pictures, and MGM Television.
While fans won’t get to see Ortega in future Scream movies following her exit due to scheduling or in her role as Brooklynn on Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, she will be starring in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988) sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024) as Astrid Deetz, the daughter of Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) and Rory (Justin Theroux).
What do you think of Jenna Ortega’s new comments about Wednesday Season 2? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
