Everything We Learned at the ‘Wednesday’ NYCC Panel
Comic-Con
The Wednesday cast event was a hot ticket at New York City Comic Con on Saturday, October 8. Jenna Ortega, her on-screen father Luis Guzman, and Gwendoline Christie were the attendees. Here are some of the highlights from the panel for all you Addams Family lovers out there to enjoy.
While Tim Burton couldn’t attend in person, he did send a small clip welcoming the audience. Then fans were given a first look at the full-length trailer, and it seems that Wednesday has a mystery to solve in her new boarding school, Nevermore Academy, a mystery that involves secret tunnels, murder, and a monstrous creature lurking within the halls.
Two of the NYCC event’s biggest surprises were the appearance of Uncle Fester, played by SNL star Fred Armisen, and the long-awaited arrival of Christina Ricci as Ms. Thornhill, who we assume to be a professor at the academy. In the trailer, she is seen checking in on Wednesday and her new roommate, Enid (Emma Myers).
Fans were also given an exclusive clip of Wednesday and Uncle Fester’s meeting. We learn that Gomez and Morticia sent him to inquire about Wednesday’s well-being; by the looks of it, he and his niece will end up going on a bit of a side adventure.
We were also delighted when Fred suddenly made a guest appearance. He talked passionately about taking on the mantra of Uncle Fester and gave us some funny anecdotes about how he got into character. It turns out he had to actually shave his head for the role.
Wednesday is looking for an opportunity to make her own identity outside of her family’s reputation. Unlike other coming-of-age stories, Wednesday is confident and knows who she is and what she wants, but there is still a tiny arc to her development. One of the main themes that will be touched upon is what it means to be an outsider.
“She’s an outcast inside a sea of outcasts,” said Jenna. Wednesday will be plunged into a world where everyone is like her. Despite her intolerance to interaction, she will be forced to socialize with her Nevermore peers.
Rivalries will also resurface as Christie hinted that her character, Headmistress Larrisa Weems, was roommates with Morticia during their time at Nevermore. Morticia was brilliant at everything, and Larrissa was always in her shadow and second best to her. Having Morticia’s daughter attending school, Christie says there will be a “Strange and discombobulated dynamic” between her and Wednesday. This relationship will prove to be an interesting one.
Academy Award-winning designer Colleen Atwood created the wardrobe. Atwood, who has previously worked on other Tim Burton films, has been praised by the cast for helping to bring the characters to life with her designs.
Executive Producers Miles Millar and Al Gough have called Wednesday a show three and half years in the making. They have expressed that this is not a remake but an adaptation with heavily respected traditions. According to them, this series will not feel episodic but instead like an 8-hour story in true Tim Burton fashion.
On an ending note, Jenna encouraged the audience to embrace their weirdness and tune into the show.
Wednesday, Series Premiere, Wednesday, November 23, Netflix
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