Thora Birch’s shoes have been filled on Wednesday – the new Netflix series based on The Addams Family – by none other than Christina Ricci herself – who delivered an iconic performance as Wednesday when she was just 10 years old. Ricci has already been having a busy year, with Yellowjackets and The Matrix Resurrections.
It was reported back at the start of December that Thora Birch had to leave the series part-way through filming due to unforeseen circumstances. She played a teacher at Nevermore Academy, a boarding school which is attended by a teenaged Wednesday (Jenna Ortega). Ricci is playing a new character, not replacing Birch, but is presumably filling a similar role in the narrative.
Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Morticia and Luis Guzman plays Gomez in the spin-off of the beloved TV and film series. Gwendoline Christie has also been cast as the principal of Nevermore Academy, who is potentially the villain of the piece. Birch plays the only “normie” on the staff and is Wednesday’s dorm mother, so Ricci could be playing someone with a similar mentorship role.
The coming-of-age comedy, written by Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar and directed by none other than Tim Burton, is described as a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery. Burton is reuniting with his regular collaborator Danny Elfman, who will be composing the music for the show.
The series will follow Wednesday’s attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorised the local town, and solve a supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago—all while navigating new and very tangled relationships.
While we wait to discover Wednesday’s release date, check out our guide to the best scary movies for kids.