School will soon be in session, and returning visitors to Nevermore Academy can expect even more horror-inspired flair when Season 2 of Wednesday rolls around. In the lead-up to its yet-to-be-announced release, main lead Jenna Ortega has teased inspiration from classic genre titles and unique visuals for its sophomore outing.
Speaking to Collider, the up-and-coming scream queen confirmed that the hit Netflix series will pay tribute to its roots with a slasher-inspired episode, alongside nods to other iconic flicks like Carrie and Prom Night.
“Visually, I can say we have some of the most fun we’ve ever had. It’s crazy to talk about one frame like this, but there is a frame of Pugsley rolling his eyes back with this contraption around his head—that’s all I can say — and it reminds me so much of Full Metal Jacket,” she shared.
“It’s insane. So bizarre. I just feel like there are a lot of scenes and frames, and there’s a whole episode based off of slashers, and we make a lot of horror references. So, everything about it, I feel like we kind of had a little bit more trust, and therefore, we felt like we could do bigger, more elaborate sequences, which is nice.”
The sneak peek aligns with previous reports that the sequel will move away from romance-driven subplots and focus more on the horror aspect. Filming for Season 2 wrapped last December, but Ortega is currently doing post-production work, saying she’s “not really done” yet.
“We’re still in the edit. I was doing ADR (automatic dialogue replacement) for it two weeks ago. That’s the funny thing about these jobs is you’re done, you wrap, but you’re not really done. So, I’ll probably be working on it until the end,” said the actor in the same interview.
While Wednesday Season 2 has no exact release date, it’s speculated to debut just in time for Halloween 2025. Tim Burton, known for his work on gothic films like Beetlejuice and Corpse Bride, is returning to direct half of the series just like before, with Ortega reprising her role as the titular character (of course) and serving as producer on the project.
Joining her on the roster of series regulars are Emma Myers as Enid Sinclair, Joy Sunday as Bianca Barclay, Moosa Mostafa as Eugene, Georgie Farmer as Ajax, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, Luis Guzmán as Gomez, Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley, and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo as Deputy Santiago. As for new faces, Thandiwe Newton (Westworld), Addams Family actor Christopher Lloyd, Lady Gaga, and Haley Joel Osment (The Kominsky Method) are some of the more notable names.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
Natalie
