The Netflix series Wednesday has encountered an obstacle after losing a key cast member.
Released in November 2021, the series is a spin-off of The Addams Family that centres on the character made famous by Christina Ricci. It quickly rose to prominence as one of the streaming service’s most popular titles.
Quickly after, a second season was ordered, featuring Jenna Ortega reprising her role as the psychic adolescent from her time at Nevermore Academy. Filming was stopped right away when the Hollywood strikes started because production in Romania was already well under way.
Wednesday season 2 cast member quits series
Five months into the strike, Wednesday has now suffered a blow with the announcement that Thora Birch, who was cast in a regular role, had to leave the show before her parts were finished.
“Thora has returned to the States to attend to a personal matter and will not be returning to the production,” an MGM official informed Deadline, referring to the production company behind the show.
Actor Birch from Ghost World reportedly had to return home to take care of a family member’s illness, according to people who spoke with the publication. Birch reportedly “finished filming the bulk” of the role, despite not finishing her scenes. Birch will portray Tamara Novak, Wednesday’s dorm mother, in season two.
This does not imply that Birch’s artwork will be included in the presentation, though. Although it’s unclear at this time if Birch will have her sequences reshot or replaced, word has it that in order to wrap up the character’s arc, the producers will need to introduce a new character.
Alongside Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán—who portray Morticia and Gomez Addams, respectively—return for season two. With 341.2 million hours streamed in a single week following its release, Wednesday, created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, broke the previous record.
Despite Ortega’s outstanding lead performance, The Independent wrote in a piece on the show’s popularity that “it can’t escape certain trappings, namely the fact that it’s essentially Gen-Z Addams Family by way of Riverdale.”
Prior to the strikes, Ortega worked with Wednesday producer Tim Burton on Ti West Horror X, the fifth and sixth Scream flicks, and the upcoming Beetlejuice 2.
The original cast members of Burton’s 1988 horror comedy, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara, are back for a second appearance in Beetlejuice 2. The movie is scheduled to be released on September 6, 2024.
The second season of Wednesday is anticipated to air in late 2024.