Summary
As the hitNetflixshowWednesdaygears up for a second season after the actors and writers' strikes, one major change is being made from the highly successful first season.
Netflix’sWednesdaycentered on the daughter of the Addams family going to a new school for outcasts after getting herself expelled. Part teen romance and part murder mystery, the show was a major success in no small part due to star Jenna Ortega’s performance as the lead, with the actresstaking theWednesdayrole for reasons close to home. While production occurred in Romania, the creative team behind the series saw fit to make changes for the second season.
WhileWednesdaywas renewed for another season at Netflixin January 2023, the project, like most others in the industry, has been on pause for most of the year, with no new information or progress on filming. However, with both strikes now over and work rapidly resuming across affected companies, a report fromDeadlinereveals thatWednesdayis also gearing up to resume production with one major change: instead of resuming filming in Romania, the Netflix show will move to Ireland as a primary filming location. The series, which still occupies a lofty spot on the streamer’s English-language shows, is a top priority post-strikes.
Work on the second season likely started after the conclusion of the writers' strike—which sawOrtega receive criticism for comments about Wednesday—but filming is quite far off at the moment. While the original location was well suited to the project and boosted Romanian tourism after the show took off, logistic challenges were present from the beginning, with discussion about moving locations for a second season starting even before the first aired. With an optimistic view on starting filming in April of 2024 and the show allegedly being a priority at Netflix, there’s little doubt that the new location will be meticulously chosen and set up to keep the same eerie atmosphere from the first season.
Moving locations is a major undertaking for the production, but it won’t be the only difference between the first and second seasons, asOrtega detailed drastic changes forWednesdayseason 2that the show’s creators have also reiterated. With the focus shifting firmly from teen romance to horror and promises of more appearances from the Addams family’s other members, a more convenient locale is a boon to aid in the smooth production of a season that lives up to the expectations of fans and executives at Netflix. Widening the scope for the second season and a sharper focus on the macabre might be what the show needs to tie it into the wider franchise and bring in more fans of the source material.
This is an essential part of the work the show must undertake in its second season, as many complain thatWednesdaymisunderstands the Addams family appealin a way that turns off fans of the older material. If the two disparate fanbases can be brought together, it can only be a boon for Netflix and the stars involved. Whether or not the new location will help take the show where it needs to go remains to be seen.
Wednesdayseason 1 is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
Wednesday
Smart, sarcastic, and a little dead inside, Wednesday Addams investigates a murder spree while making new friends — and foes — at Nevermore Academy.
