Wednesday’s World Expands: Season 2 Brings New Twists and Talent

Netflix has provided fans with their first look at Billie Piper on the gothic comedy series Wednesday, ahead of the show’s return for season 2. The British actress has been cast in an unconfirmed role for the new run and was pictured as the character in the upcoming second season for the first time on Wednesday.

The series’ follow-up will see Piper, 42, joining the cast as Isadora Capri, head of music at the school for supernatural misfits, Nevermore Academy. A self-described former child prodigy, Piper’s Isadora is described as a “gifted and eccentric” character. She takes a specific interest in Wednesday Addams’ (Jenna Ortega) musical abilities, but also mentors werewolf student Enid Sinclair, played by series regular Emma Myers.

Piper has appeared in a number of supernatural and gothic series throughout her career, most notably Penny Dreadful, where she starred as Brona Croft/The Bride of Frankenstein. The 42-year-old also stars in the new Powerpuff Girls animated series as Maxine, the devious mother of the trio.

Netflix shared the first photos of Billie Piper in character for the series on Wednesday, alongside a big announcement regarding the future of the record-breaking hit series. Wednesday originally premiered on the platform in November 2022, where it quickly became one of Netflix’s biggest global successes of all time. Airing in 130 countries worldwide, it was watched by 252 million viewers, making it the streamer’s most popular English-language series ever.

Due to its success, the series was renewed for a second season in January 2023. And on Wednesday, the streaming giant confirmed that the upcoming season will be released this August.

The series is a modern, gothic take on the Addams Family, with Jenna Ortega, 22, playing the title character. Wednesday follows the undead pre-teen as she attends Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for the supernatural. In season 1, she had to survive horror school drama, battle against social media, and do battle with a complex relationship with her mother, Wednesday Addams (Lucy Boynton).

Showrunner Alfred Gough previously said that Jenna Ortega was a key reason why they brought the character of Wednesday Addams to life. Gough, who co-created the series with Miles Millar, also said that “modernizing Wednesday” was an aim that they set before they began work. “She has to be living in the 21st century and she has to be going to high school because of Jenna and because of that universe,” he added.

Wednesday became an instant global hit for Netflix, becoming one of its most popular shows of all time. Combining elements of horror, comedy, and teen drama, it found an audience both at home and with industry critics, with the series nominated for an Emmy. In addition, the series’ macabre aesthetic and the performances of Jenna Ortega and Catherine Zeta-Jones have become instant fan favorites.

Season 3, Spin-Off Series Confirmed

Netflix has confirmed even more news for Wednesday fans, as they revealed that the series had also been renewed for a third season. While this season’s cast was still unclear, sources from The Hollywood Reporter have confirmed that there is also a spin-off series in the works. At this time, the report noted, “few details are being revealed, but the producers are actively working on one.”

In a tease, co-creator Alfred Gough was also noncommittal but hinted at another development for the upcoming third season, saying that they were “definitely noodling” on the subject, and that there are other characters they can explore. Gough, who also created the television series Charmed, noted, “We have the license to do something else, but it doesn’t mean we will.”

The news was revealed alongside a post from Catherine Zeta-Jones, who plays Morticia Addams on the show, confirming that she also heard the big news. On Instagram, the actress posted, “When Wednesday comes, a better day. Wednesday season three. It’s official…and we shall return.”

Fans have taken to social media to express their overwhelming excitement at the prospect of a third season of Wednesday, with many posting in the comments on Zeta-Jones’s post. “We’ve already heard it! And for many more seasons,” wrote one fan, while another added, “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!”

Others took a more exasperated tone and urged that production on season 3 of Wednesday happen soon. The series will only be two seasons when the new run is released this August, but despite the second season being announced in January 2023, fans have had to wait over two years since the debut run’s launch to see it. Some fans were thus imploring that the showrunners would at least have a shorter gap before a third run, one writing, “I’ll be gripping the sheets in agony waiting, but please…don’t let us wait three years again.”

Burton, 66, will return as an executive producer on the season, and also stepped in to direct several of the new episodes. The director was also recently seen in Beetlejuice with Jenna Ortega, the upcoming sequel to the cult 1988 classic.

The second season will also feature more high-profile celebrity appearances. In addition to the Billie Piper casting news, new stars joining Wednesday include Lady Gaga, Steve Buscemi, Joanna Lumley, and Thandie Newton. Series regulars returning to Nevermore include Gwendoline Christie as headmistress Larissa Weems and Luis Guzmán as Wednesday’s father, Gomez Addams.

The series’ lead has been becoming more involved behind the scenes since the premiere, becoming an executive producer on season 2. Ortega’s new role follows some controversy around the show, after she made headlines for a podcast interview in which she said she regularly “changed lines” on the show and had to “put her foot down” against producers over character inconsistencies. Burton, however, publicly came to her defense, saying that Ortega had been “misinterpreted.” Co-creator Alfred Gough also added that Ortega “should be a producer,” and that it made sense to the team because she was “already doing the work and we already had her input on every script.” The actress had already been hands-on in the casting of new additions to the show, such as Emma Myers and Gio Galicia.

Joanna Lumley, one of the new additions to the series, had also gushed about working on a Burton-directed project. “There’s always something thrilling about working for Tim Burton,” she told ET Online. “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.”

Wednesday returns for season 2 this August.