By Hanna Rantala
LONDON (Reuters) -Hit Netflix series “Wednesday” expands the Addams Family world as it returns to screens nearly three years after the show launched in November 2022.
Season Two of the dark fantasy series premiered at London’s Westminster on Wednesday, with its cast and creators walking a purple carpet outside Central Hall and Queen Elizabeth II Centre.
The new season sees Wednesday Addams, played by Jenna Ortega, returning to Nevermore Academy as a celebrated hero, much to her dismay. The tetchy teen puts her detective hat back on to solve new supernatural mysteries, while dealing with glitches in her psychic powers.
Wednesday also faces another nuisance – family. Her little brother Pugsley, played by Isaac Ordonez, starts his studies at Nevermore and their parents are a frequent presence on campus.
“She’s kind of knocked off her feet this season. So it’s a lot of pressure,” said Ortega.
The series’ creators and showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar said “Wednesday” returns “bigger and better”.
“There’s more of the Addams Family this season,” said Gough. “We learn more about the characters you got to meet in Season One and they have their own storylines.”
The sophomore season also introduces new characters, including Steve Buscemi’s Nevermore principal Barry Dort and the Addams family matriarch Grandmama Hester Frump, played by Joanna Lumley. Pop star Lady Gaga makes a guest star appearance as a teacher in Part 2.
Mother-daughter dynamics are at the heart of the new season, said Millar.
“It’s about mothers and daughters, it’s three generations of Addams women together. It’s also about learning to not be in control of everything, for Wednesday. And it’s really always about female friendship and female sisterhood,” he said.
Ortega, 22, also executive produced the new season. Rather than control, it gave her “freedom” she said.
“She’s kind of our cast spokesperson. Any time I felt like something needed to be said or if I had any ideas, she was always like, ‘come to me and we’ll make it work’. She just looks out for us,” Emma Myers, who plays Wednesday’s roommate Enid Sinclair, said.
Filmmaker Tim Burton also returns as one of the directors and executive producers.
“Wednesday” Season Two will be released in two four-episode installments, with Part One dropping August 6 and Part Two out on September 3.
(Reporting by Hanna Rantala; Editing by Chris Reese)
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