Tim Burton’s live-action TV adaptation of The Addams Family has found its Morticia.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Catherine Zeta-Jones has landed the coveted role, and has been added to the cast as a guest star on the eight-part series.
Netflix confirmed earlier this year that YOU’s Jenna Ortega will play the title role of Wednesday Addams, one of the world’s most enduring pop cultural icons.
The character has been portrayed in television, film, video games and even musicals, but Wednesday has always been part of The Addams Family ensemble until now — in her first young adult television series.
“The series is a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy,” reads the logline.
“Wednesday’s attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town, and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.”
Tim Burton (Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands) is on board as the director and EP.
Al Gough and Miles Millar (Smallville, Into the Badlands) will serve as showrunners and EPs.
They join EPs Steve Stark (Medium, The Event), Andrew Mittman for 1.21 (The Addams Family, Alphas), Kevin Miserocchi (Tee and Charles Addams Foundation), Kayla Alpert (Code Black, Up All Night), Jonathan Glickman for Glickmania (RESPECT, Addams Family 2), and Gail Berman (The Addams Family, Alphas).
“When we first heard Al Gough and Miles Millar’s pitch for Wednesday we were struck, like an arrow from a crossbow, right in our hearts.”
“They nailed the tone, the spirit and the characters, but gave us a fresh way into this story,” Teddy Biaselli, Netflix’s Director Original Series said in February, adding that Wednesday is “the ultimate lone wolf” character.
“We then got the call that visionary director and lifelong Addams Family fan Tim Burton wanted to make his television directorial debut with this series.”
“Tim has had a history of telling empowering stories about social outsiders like Edward Scissorhands, Lydia Deitz, and Batman. And now he brings his unique vision to Wednesday and her spooky classmates at Nevermore Academy.”
Zeta-Jones is a seasoned actress with a string of hit roles under her belt.
She is coming off a recurring role on the canceled Prodigal Son.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.