The success on Wednesday is not surprising; it ought to have occurred
sooner.
Even though Tim Burton’s Wednesday stunned everyone by amassing a billion hours’ worth of views in less than a month, it was inevitable. The character of Wednesday Addams, created by artist Charles Addams for his 1938 comic book The Addams Family, serves as the inspiration for the show. Then, Wednesday was adapted into live-action in 1964 and 1991, with Lisa Loring and later Cristina Ricci playing the role, which helped make the character well-known. Even if it was always going to be dangerous, the character’s astounding success shows that it was time to do it sooner rather than later.
Since Wednesday’s season 1 debut on November 23rd, the programme has grown to become a phenomenon in popular culture. In addition to ranking as the second-most watched English-language Netflix series, it has now been nominated for two Golden Globes. The popularity of Wednesday has also spread to social media, where followers are frequently seen dressing up as Wednesday Addams and performing her signature dance from season 4, “Woe What A Night.” The show had the biggest debut week for an English-language series in Netflix history, stealing a streaming record from the holy grail of Netflix, Stranger Things. Here are some reasons why Wednesday’s triumph shouldn’t come as a surprise, despite the fact that some people may find it puzzling.
How Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Compares To Christina Ricci’s Version
Wednesday Was Always The Breakout Addams Family Character
The popularity of Wednesday left viewers wanting more, and the character has a lot of opportunity to advance. Jenna Ortega has demonstrated that she is the best fit, but casting has always been the most crucial factor. Following her appearances in films like Scream (2022) and X, Jenna Ortega has established herself as one of the best young actors in Hollywood and is now referred to as a modern scream queen. Even if Ortega hadn’t had a knack for deadpan comedy and a gothic aesthetic, her fame alone would have been plenty.
Tim Burton & Addams Family Should’ve Happened Sooner
Tim Burton the Addams family
The Addams Family and Tim Burton believe that it should have occurred years ago, and almost did. Although Burton was initially contacted to helm The Addams Family in 1991, he declined because of schedule difficulties with Batman and Batman Returns. Nearly two decades later, Illumination Entertainment bought the rights to the Addams Family comics and began preparing a stop-motion film, with Burton slated to co-write and maybe helm. But a few years later, this was scrapped, and there was no sign of a Tim Burton Addams Family project.
Tim Burton received a pilot script from Wednesday showrunners Miles Millar and Alfred Gough in 2019, and the show was subsequently confirmed in October 2020. It’s simple to see how Wednesday’s record-breaking success has been influenced by the anticipation of a Tim Burton Addams Family production. It was just a matter of choosing the correct project to move forward with because Burton’s distinctive gothic style was always going to mesh well with the horrific character of the Addams Family.
Full Breakdown Of Jenna Ortega’s Dance In Wednesday
Wednesday Modernizes Burton’s Best Gothic Traits
Wednesday Nevermore students
Tim Burton immediately gained notoriety thanks to the variety of gothic aesthetics found in his creations. In the past, Burton has acknowledged that many of his influences include the Hammer horror films, German Expressionism, and authors like Edgar Allen Poe. As a result, Burton developed his own distinctive visual aesthetic known as “Burtonesque.” The most prominent examples of Burton’s usage of the gothic genre to combine reality with surrealism and bright suburban settings are his short films Vincent and Beetlejuice. Because Wednesday combines many of Burton’s earlier works and influences with a more contemporary context, it succeeds so effectively.
There are several allusions to Edgar Allen Poe, for instance, from the name of the institution, Nevermore Academy, to the enormous statue erected in his honor. Even Wednesday uses his writings to unravel the mysteries going on around her. Burton’s influence also made sure that Nevermore’s building followed gothic guidelines. Similar to how Edward’s Gothic home in Edward Scissorhands is such a sharp contrast to the cheery suburban town underneath it, Nevermore feels extremely remote from the town of Jericho. The gothic genre is successfully brought back into the mainstream by fusing these characteristics with other aspects of contemporary life, such as the mention of social media and blogging, even though it may seem a little unusual to do so.
Why Wednesday’s Success Is Still A Little Surprising
Jenna Ortega as Wednesday dancing
Despite Wednesday’s amazing success, there was always a chance it could have fallen flat. The 2019 animated The Addams Family picture failed to maintain the same degree of curiosity as its predecessors, which is primarily down to the fact that the Addams Family had been relatively dormant for a while. Tim Burton has likewise not been as in demand as he was in the 1990s and the early 2000s; his most recent significant endeavor was Disney’s live-action version of Dumbo in 2019. Notably, several of his most recent works weren’t widely acclaimed, which made Wednesday’s future more uncertain.
Additionally, Netflix’s track record for creating supernatural teen dramas is not the best. While The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on the streaming service had its moments, its attempts to appeal to a contemporary audience frequently came off as forced and lacked quality. Therefore, it’s not surprising that some viewers may have thought Wednesday would have had the same fate, but instead, it has demonstrated how to flawlessly appeal to a current audience.