It’s been a long time since we learned anything new about it Wednesday season 2, but Netflix has finally clicked its fingers and delivered a major update for the show’s hungry fanbase.
In a press release, Netflix confirmed today (Tuesday, May 7) as a strange day for one Wednesday-based reveal) where principal photography is now underway Wednesday‘s second season. Like its predecessor, season 2 will be filmed in Ireland, although it is unclear how long filming will take. Anyway, since it’s been 16 months since Netflix renewed Wednesday for a second season after the record-breaking debut, we are happy that filming is starting.
That’s not the only big announcement made about one of the best Netflix shows ever made. As the YouTube video above shows, there are many new faces among the season 2 cast, including Doctor who alumnus Billie Piper, Star Wars‘Joonas Suotamo, Westworld‘s Thandiwe Newton, and The Great Lebowski“Steve Buscemi. The latter duo was all but confirmed to have a role Wednesday season 2, mind you – we did report on Newton and Buscemi’s inclusions after Netflix added them to the second season roster in late April.
A familiar face from the Addams Family returns
Wednesday Season 2 is NOW IN PRODUCTION 🖤 Give a round of double snaps to our cast – now including Christopher Lloyd, Steve Buscemi, Thandiwe Newton, Joanna Lumley, Haley Joel Osment, Heather Matarazzo and Billie Piper! pic.twitter.com/v6nX6eLPP8May 7, 2024
Curious, Wednesday season 2 has also brought in legendary actor Christopher Lloyd as a guest star. Lloyd played Uncle Fester in the two Addams family films released in theaters in the 1990s, but the beloved character was played by Fred Armisen in Wednesday season 1. Netflix has confirmed that Armisen will be back as Uncle Fester for the next episode of the season, so Lloyd won’t be replacing Armisen to reprise one of his many iconic roles.
Okay, so who are the other newcomers playing? Netflix hasn’t revealed the identities of each new character, but the aforementioned YouTube video revealed some crowd-pleasing news on a few fronts. First, Joanna Lumley will take on the role of another Addams Family member in Grandmama. Piper will play someone known as Capri, while Newton and Buscemi’s individuals are Doctor Fairburn and Barry Dort. Buscemi’s Dort is rumored to be the new director of Nevermore Academy, following in the footsteps of Gwendoline Christie’s Larissa Weems.
Here’s a full list of the new series regulars – listed first – and guest stars we’ll see in season 2:
- Steve Buscemi (The Big Lebowski, Boardwalk Empire)
- Billie Piper (Shovel, Doctor Who season 1)
- Evie Templeton (Return to Silent Hill, Lord of Misrule)
- Owen Painter (Little beautiful things, The Handmaid’s Tale)
- Noah Taylor (Law & Order: Organized Crime, Park Avenue)
- Christopher Lloyd (Addams Family, Back to the Future)
- Joanna Lumley (Fool me once, Paddington 2)
- Thandiwe Newton (WestworldCrash)
- Frances O’Connor (The missing, the twelve)
- Haley Joel Osment (The Kominsky Method, someone I knew)
- Heather Matarazzo (The Princess Diaries, shout out)
- Joonas Suotamo (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Acolyte)
Unsurprisingly, lead actor Jenna Ortega is back as the titular teen with supernatural abilities. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, who all appeared in the show’s first season, also reprise their roles as Morticia Addams, Gomez Addams, Pugsley Addams and Deputy Sheriff Ritchie Sanitago. All four cast members have been upgraded to series regulars. Finally, Tim Burton returns to direct and executive produce the show, along with returning co-showrunners/writers/executive producers Al Gough and Miles Millar.
Wednesday season 2 doesn’t have a release date, but I’d be surprised if it doesn’t debut on the world’s top streaming service sometime in 2025.