Wednesday’s Back—and She’s Bringing a Spin-Off With Her

Netflix has released a first look at Billie Piper as part of the forthcoming second season of Wednesday, the young adult gothic comedy starring Jenna Ortega. 42-year-old Piper has been added to the cast in the role of Isadora Capri, a genius, mysterious, and misanthropic character who will play the part of head of music at Nevermore Academy.

Piper is perhaps best known to a modern audience for her role as Brona Croft/The Bride of Frankenstein in Penny Dreadful. Her resume also boasts several other gothic and supernatural characters, which no doubt helped to secure her the role of Isadora Capri on Wednesday. Former child prodigy, the character is noted to be “especially intrigued by Wednesday Addams’ musical prowess” and also takes under her wing werewolf student Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers).

Netflix released the first look at Piper alongside other news about the future of Wednesday, the record-breaking series that originally premiered in November 2022. The hit show quickly found a global audience and became Netflix’s most-watched English-language show of all time, with 252 million viewers tuning in to watch from across the world. In light of this, the series was renewed in January 2023 for a second season, which is now set to return to the streaming platform this August.

Wednesday stars Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, who we follow as she is sent to Nevermore Academy, a school for supernatural misfits. The horror-comedy series, which also stars Catherine Zeta-Jones, Mark Consuelos, Fiona Dourif, and others, is a reimagining of the Addams Family universe. Wednesday earned fans and critical acclaim in equal measure and was recognized at the Emmys, with many fans counting the minutes until its return.

The Wrap: Wednesday Confirms Third Season and Spin-Off Series in the Works

Netflix also made a number of other announcements about Wednesday alongside the first look at Billie Piper in the role of Isadora Capri. Most significantly, Wednesday has now been confirmed for a third season. Moreover, the company is in early discussions about a potential spin-off series from the show. News of a possible new series comes from The Hollywood Reporter.

Few details have been released about the new series, if or when it comes to fruition. Co-creator Alfred Gough did tease that the spin-off would be a separate project from a new season of Wednesday, saying: “It’s something we’re noodling; there are other characters we can look at.”

Fans of the series were quick to respond to the news on social media, with Catherine Zeta-Jones, who plays Morticia Addams in the show, even confirming the third-season renewal herself with an Instagram post that said: “When Wednesday comes, a better day. Wednesday season three. It’s official…we shall return.” The comments section was inundated by fans, many of whom wrote things like: “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 fans, however, seemed to be a little disappointed that the season had been greenlit so quickly. The fear among fans seems to be that, given the series has only just concluded filming on its second season, the third season won’t be released for some time. This sentiment was expressed in a tweet from one viewer, who wrote: “I’ll be gripping the sheets in agony waiting, but please… don’t let us wait three years again.”

There will also be a return of executive producer and sometime director Tim Burton, 66. The director, who also recently worked with Ortega on Beetlejuice, the upcoming sequel to the 1988 cult classic, will continue to influence the eerie and moody aesthetic of the series.

As well as Billie Piper, the new season will also welcome new additions to the cast in the form of the likes of Lady Gaga, Steve Buscemi, Joanna Lumley, and Thandie Newton. Returning regulars include Gwendoline Christie, who plays the role of headteacher Larissa Weems, and Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams, Wednesday’s father.

Meanwhile, Jenna Ortega herself has taken on an increased role behind the scenes. Ortega recently caused some controversy over a podcast interview, which led to her being accused by some of “changing lines” and having to “put her foot down” about things. Burton later came out in support of the actress, with the director stating that the comments had been “taken completely out of context and twisted”. Wednesday’s other co-creator, Alfred Gough, said Ortega’s new role as producer “wasn’t a surprise, to be honest,” before going on to explain that Ortega is “hands-on in terms of creatively” and always has valuable and helpful input for the show’s scripts.

Joanna Lumley, one of the new additions to the cast, also had some words to say ahead of her arrival in the series: “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.”

Billie Piper, the new season, a third-season renewal, and a spin-off series being discussed – it seems that the world of Wednesday isn’t planning on slowing down any time soon.