Fans Rejoice as Wednesday Secures Season 3 and Star Additions

Netflix has released the first look at Billie Piper in her role for the second season of Wednesday, the dark and gothic teen comedy starring Jenna Ortega. Piper, 42, will play Isadora Capri, a mysterious and prodigious former child who has been recruited as the head of music at Nevermore Academy.

Piper’s gothic résumé is extensive, with many of her previous roles falling in the horror and supernatural genres. The most famous of these is her role as Brona Croft/The Bride of Frankenstein in Penny Dreadful, but she has also had a long career in science fiction and has appeared on many cult TV shows like Doctor Who. For Wednesday, she will take on the role of Wednesday’s music teacher and special interest as Isadora Capri. Described as an eccentric with a personal history of being a child prodigy, Isadora takes a particular interest in Wednesday’s talent and other supernatural student Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers).

Netflix shared the first-look images as it also dropped a lot of major news for the future of the series. Wednesday first premiered on Netflix in November 2022 and quickly rose to global popularity, becoming Netflix’s biggest English-language show of all time with a total of 252 million viewers worldwide. In the months following its premiere, the series was renewed for a second season, which will now arrive this August.

Wednesday is a dark reboot of the Addams Family franchise, centered around the character of Wednesday Addams (22-year-old Jenna Ortega) as she begins her first year at Nevermore Academy, a school for the children of the world’s supernatural elite. Mixing horror, comedy, and coming-of-age themes, the show was a critical and fan success, winning Emmys and becoming an instant favorite.

Wednesday Season 3 Is Officially Coming

In addition to introducing Billie Piper’s character, Netflix has released even more big news about the future of Wednesday: the series has been officially renewed for a third season. A spin-off show is also in the works and under discussion, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter. Co-creator Alfred Gough has teased a few more details of the new show, saying: “It’s something we’re noodling; there are other characters we can look at.”

The announcement of the third season was greeted with joy on social media. Catherine Zeta-Jones also confirmed the renewal of the show on her account in a funny video Instagram story with the same words: “When Wednesday comes, a better day. Wednesday season three. It’s official… we shall return.” Fans flocked to the comments, leaving messages such as “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 of Wednesday’s fans tweeted that they hope filming for the third season can happen soon, with many saying they do not want a repeat of the wait between the first and second seasons. Despite being confirmed in January 2023, the new season will premiere more than two years after the show’s initial release in November 2022, so there is a clear demand for faster production and release times.

The team has been expanded for season two, with Tim Burton, 66, returning as executive producer and occasional director. Burton has shaped the show’s eerie and atmospheric look and continues to work with Ortega on projects, most recently Beetlejuice, the upcoming sequel to the 1988 cult comedy classic.

The new season will also include an impressive group of new faces. In addition to Billie Piper, the cast will feature Lady Gaga, Steve Buscemi, Joanna Lumley, and Thandie Newton. Stars from the first season returning as regulars include Gwendoline Christie as headmistress Larissa Weems and Luis Guzmán as Wednesday’s father, Gomez Addams.

At the same time, Ortega herself has been added to the team in an expanded role, moving into the production side. Following some negative press around a podcast interview in which the actress said she often “changed lines” and “put her foot down” over some character inconsistencies, Ortega was publicly supported by Burton and other producers. Co-creator Alfred Gough went as far as to praise her involvement, saying that Ortega’s new title as producer “made perfect sense” because she was already so actively involved and often gave helpful feedback on scripts.

Joanna Lumley is one of the new additions to the cast. She has also commented on joining the Wednesday universe: “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.”

Alongside the arrival of Billie Piper, Wednesday Season 2 is in production, and plans for a third season and spin-off are all set. The success of Wednesday and its world is expected to continue and grow in 2023 and beyond.