Tim Burton Eyes ‘Addams Family’ Live-Action TV Series Told from Wednesday’s POV
Update February 17 2021: Netflix has ordered an eight-episode Wednesday Addam series from Tim Burton. Click here to learn more.
Earlier: Tim Burton is circling a live-action television series of “The Addams Family,” inspired by the beloved characters from the cartoons created by Charles Addams and the 1964 TV series produced by David Levy. Deadline first reported the news that Burton also is in talks to direct and executive produce all episodes of this latest take on the horror-comedy franchise.
MGM Television, which controls the IP rights, financed the development on the series, and Deadline reports that numerous top bidders are in play, including Netflix. “Smallville” and “Into the Badlands” creators and executive producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar will serve as head writers on the program, and will executive produce alongside Burton.
According to the report, the new live-action series is said to be set in present day and told from the point of view of Wednesday Addams. The character was most recently voiced by Chloe Grace Moretz in the 2019 animated “Addams Family” film, and in earlier iterations was portrayed by Christina Ricci in Barry Sonnenfeld’s 1991 “The Addams Family” live-action movie and the 1993 sequel, “Addams Family Values.” In the 1960s TV series, she was played by Lisa Loring. A sequel to the recent animated film, “The Addams Family 2,” is set to launch on October 8, 2021, from United Artists Releasing in the U.S., with Moretz joined by fellow voice cast members Charlize Theron, Bette Midler, Oscar Isaac, Bill Hader, Nick Kroll, Snoop Dogg, and more.
The news arrives as “The Addams Family” begins a revival rollout this weekend throughout theaters that are currently open in the U.S. During its original run, the film grossed more than $191 million at the box office. Tim Burton reportedly passed on directing the 1991 movie starring Anjelica Huston and Raul Julia, as he was working on “Batman Returns.”
Burton similarly mined classic television for his 2012 fantasy film “Dark Shadows,” based on the 1970s TV series. His most prominent TV project was serving as executive producer on the animated series “Beetlejuice,” based on his 1988 cult classic and running for four seasons from 1989 through 1991. He also executive produced the 1993 animated series “Family Dog.”
Burton’s last film was another live-action remake, 2019’s “Dumbo.” Prior, he directed “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.”
IndieWire has reached out to MGM representatives for comment.
