Latest news with #TimBurton
AsiaOne
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
'That's what life is': Wednesday director Tim Burton not worried about balancing horror elements for adults and children in his shows
Tim Burton has been a mainstay of dark fantasy and horror for nearly four decades now, with those of us spookily-inclined often growing up with his works. The 66-year-old is the director and executive producer on Netflix's Wednesday and was recently asked during a press conference whether it is difficult to toe the line making horror for adults while also keeping it child-friendly. "People say it's too light or too dark. Kids will like it, or The Nightmare Before Christmas is too scary for little children," Tim said. "They're like fables or fairy tales, you know? Those kinds of things, they remain with people because they incorporate light and dark and humour and drama and scariness. "And so for me, I never think too much about it, because that's what life is, it's a mixture of all those things together." It's difficult to imagine anyone else directing this modern adaptation of the legendary Addams Family, and the cast of Wednesday seem to agree. "As soon as you step onto the set, it feels like Tim Burton," Fred Armisen, who plays Uncle Fester, said. "Every detail, every window you see, you're like, 'Oh, this is definitely Tim Burton', so it helps you get into it right away." The 58-year-old added that he wants to do a good job as an actor, but he also grew up watching Tim Burton's movies and is a fan. "So I keep it cool on the outside, but on the inside I'm still like, 'That's Tim Burton, that's totally Tim Burton, that's his hair, that's his jacket, that's him walking away, coming back, that's his hat'." Jenna Ortega, who plays the titular character, said: "What I love working with Tim is nothing's really prepared for the day-to-day stuff. "So, it's really wonderful to be able to walk onto a set, let him take it in, look at it from every perspective, and then, you know, it's something fresh every day." The 22-year-old said that Tim keeps the TV show from feeling formulaic and routine through switching between "doing a lot of setups" and "fitting [the filming] all into one", or catering to the script and basing the shots "off a single line". Tim praised Jenna in return: "I remember on the first day of the first season, Jenna was there before anybody else, watching everything, and so she knows more than everyone else. She knows more than I know sometimes. "But that's the beauty of it. We have scripts and everything, but we go in each day, everybody knows their character - they surprised me - and I just love it. It keeps it feeling fresh, keeps it feeling like it's actually a movie we're making." 'None of it is made up' Season two of Wednesday will be released on Netflix in two parts: The first four episodes on Aug 6 and the next four on Sept 3. The show, which filmed its first season in Romania, moved its production to Ireland this time around, working in the same studio as the historical TV show Vikings. "[They left] behind bits and pieces on the hillside, which is actually very good, because any artist knows that debris is better than [working on] a white sheet," said Joanna Lumley, who joins Wednesday as Granny Hester Frump in the new season. "So, suddenly they've got this derelict stuff of bits of old rampant and hills and the challenges of a new studio. "It must have been heavenly but hard to work in Romania, but I just think that Ireland, it has a natural feeling, because there's something in Ireland which is slightly otherworldly anyway, and it embraced the whole feeling of Wednesday." The 79-year-old added: "Once you step into one of these sets, it gives you something completely different. "You're not making it up, you're walking down a great creaking corridor, you're going into principal Dort's (Steve Buscemi) study, which is immense with a blazing log fire, the statues. "Tim always does this, he always makes stuff that is perfect." There's a scene where Hester is shooting clay pigeons and Wednesday comes to meet her, Joanna said. "We hardly see it on screen, but she's got a croquet hoop set out and they're all made of bones," she continued. "Every detail imbues you with what the place is. It tells you who you are and how it's going to come across. "And none of it is made up, none of it is cheapskate or small." [[nid:718560]] Meanwhile, Catherine Zeta-Jones, 55, also praised the gothic grandeur of the set and teased about a camping scene. "Let me tell you something, my kids and my husband are like, 'Come on, we'll get a trailer, we'll go camping,' and I'm like, 'Forget it.' But as Morticia Addams, I will go camping every day of the week." "When people see that camping episode, everyone and their mother is gonna want an Addams tent," added 68-year-old Luis Guzman, who plays her onscreen husband Gomez, calling it "pure elegance, terribly". The downside to Ireland, however, was that it was a bit too vibrant for the gloomy world of Wednesday. "The only real challenge we had was fighting the green," Jenna said. "It was so green there, and it was so bright for the show. Suddenly the Addams looked alive, and it was like..." "Take it down a notch," Tim finished, as the cast laughed. Season two of Wednesday also stars Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams, with the students and faculty of Nevermore Academy including Emma Myers, Joy Sunday and Billie Piper. [embed]
BBC News
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Wednesday: Jenna Ortega says sudden fame was 'very overwhelming'
Jenna Ortega has described the sudden fame that came with starring in Netflix hit Wednesday as "very overwhelming".The first season of the show about the Addams family's deadpan daughter became Netflix's most popular English-language series ever after its release in 22, told BBC culture correspondent Lizo Mzimba she was "very grateful and glad that it was able to resonate with people in the way that it did".But asked if she was ready for the attention that came with the series, the US actress replied: "Is anyone? No, I wasn't. I wouldn't want to know someone who is. I don't think that should ever be like a normal sort of [experience]." She added: "I'm still very appreciative and grateful. We didn't know that anyone was going to watch the show. You do these things and you don't know what's to come, so it was very overwhelming."The second season of Tim Burton's show, released next week, follows Wednesday Addams as she returns to Nevermore Academy, now under the leadership of a new also sees a bigger role for Wednesday's parents, who will have an increased presence on the school's campus, something Netflix has said results in "a rare new form of torture for a fiercely independent amateur sleuth". The greater prominence for father and mother Gomez and Morticia Addams gives a chance for the show to explore the family dynamics more deeply than it did in the first season."I think one of the reasons people resonate with the Addams family so much is their strangeness," Ortega reflects."They're a very cohesive unit, but they're also very different from one another and stand out. They shouldn't fit [together] but they do. And that's very relatable."She highlights the complex dynamic between Wednesday and Morticia, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, and says she's looking forward to viewers "getting to see more" of the Welsh actress, who she describes as a "delicious, divine presence"."It's very typical for mother and daughter to butt heads," Ortega notes, "and the daughter wanting to be her own person and feel that maybe she's not being given the space she deserves or needs to come into her own."But also the mother's desire to look after her children and be protective, and not wanting them to have to deal with the same hardships that they may have faced in the past. Reading the scripts, it's very applicable to my experience as a teenager, and now."California-born Ortega has also starred in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Death of a Unicorn and two films in the Scream franchise, as well as TV series You and Jane the Virgin. But her best-known role is Wednesday Addams, a character known for her sharp wit, deadpan delivery and fascination with all things was first portrayed by Lisa Loring in The Addams Family TV series in the mid-1960s. Christina Ricci later took on the role for two movies in the early is flexing some different muscles for the forthcoming second season by also serving as an executive producer, something she says "was a great education for me... I tried to soak in as much as I possibly could".She acknowledges the three-year gap between the first and second season, but adds that it "allowed the dust and debris to settle a little". Viewers have been "very patient with us", Ortega smiles. "We made them wait for a long time. We do want to please them, but we want to do it in new and more exciting ways." Zeta-Jones says the second season gives her a bigger role after "just dropping in and setting up the matriarch of this central character" in the on the opening season, the actress recalls, felt "like you were at the grassroots of something".So when producers told her they wanted to use the second season to "really incorporate the family surrounding Wednesday, and really look at that dynamic between the mother and daughter, it was just a joy"."They created a lovely arc that didn't supersede the through story of Wednesday and her journey, it just padded it out beautifully and they fleshed our characters out great. At this point in my career, I feel so blessed to be part of this world."Other stars appearing in season two include Joanna Lumley as Wednesday's grandmother Hester Frump, Steve Buscemi as Nevermore principal Barry Dort, and Billie Piper as head of music Isadora Capri. 'Online communities can be isolating' Ortega suggests one of the reasons the show has resonated so widely is because it explores themes of "where we find our sense of community now"."I wasn't around in the 70s, but I hear stories of people knocking on their neighbours' doors, and the bikes going all throughout the city, and just expecting to meet someone at a certain time on a certain location."That contrasts hugely with the reliance on smartphones today, she notes. "People don't talk to each other in person. They're interacting and finding their community online, which can be very isolating."Also, there are so many voices and so many opinions that you're exposed to, much more than you would typically be, or that humans are kind of meant to be exposed to."So I think it's harder to find a sense of self. Young people are struggling to find, 'What makes my voice stand out? What is it about me in this world and this society today that gives me a sense of purpose or control or authority?'"According to Zeta-Jones, the Addams family are relatable precisely because "we embrace our idiosyncrasies", adding: "It's OK to be different, we don't try to box it, hide it, as a family we encourage it... it's the ultimate modern family."Ortega agrees: "There's great comfort in seeing people who are so obviously themselves, freely, and place priority where it matters, and that's your family, that's who's in front of you, your special interests, that's your strength and your courage and your confidence in your voice."It's very easy now to get swept up in some sort of sheep mentality, and I think it's so important for young people to see this family now more than ever." The first four episodes of Wednesday's second season are released on 6 August, with the remaining four released on 3 News used AI to help write the summary at the top of this article. It was edited by BBC journalists. Find out more.
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Joanna Lumley embraces gothic glamour as she steps out in an elegant all-black ensemble at the Wednesday series two premiere in London
embraced gothic glamour as she joined her co-stars at the Wednesday season two premiere in London on Wednesday. The actress, 79, put on an elegant display in black wide-leg trousers and a matching top, which she styled with a floor-length cardigan embellished with silver flowers. Joanna, who is joining the cast of the Netflix hit as Grandmama Hester Frump, accessorised with droplet earrings as she stormed the star-studded event. She certainly kept with the dark theme of the Tim Burton-produced series with her gothic-inspired outfit. Joanna stormed the premiere with leading lady Jenna Ortega, returning cast member Catherine Zeta-Jones and fellow newcomer Billie Piper. Doctor Who star Billie, 42, will play new character Isadora Capri in the series, which is slated for release in two parts, on August 6 and September 3. The actress, 79, put on an elegant display in black wide-leg trousers and a matching top, which she styled with a floor-length cardigan embellished with silver flowers The gothic comedy, which follows the antics of Wednesday Addams (Jenna), debuted on the streaming service in November 2022. It was quickly renewed for a second series in January 2023. It is one of many adaptations of The Addams Family, the eccentric fictional old-money clan, famously macabre and gothic in manner and look. It has already been announced that Wednesday will be back for a third series, while a spin-off programme is also under discussion, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Fans were delighted to hear the fate of the beloved show has been secured before the second series' premiere, taking to social media to express their excitement. Confirming the news, Catherine Zeta-Jones posted on Instagram: 'When Wednesday comes a better day. 'Wednesday season three. It's official... we shall return.' The first series of Wednesday followed the titular troublemaker after she was expelled and transferred to Nevermore Academy, a school for monstrous outcasts. Her cool, creepy manner and rebellious streak saw her found in trouble and struggling to fit in. She certainly kept with the dark theme of the Tim Burton-produced series with her gothic-inspired outfit But upon discovering she is a psychic, like her mother (Catherine), she applies her skills to solving a local murder case and soon finds her stride. The first series boasted an impressive regular cast, including Game of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie, Narcos' Luis Guzman and Emma Myers. However, Gwendoline is not expected to be returning for the second run after her character, Principal Larissa Weems, was killed off in the first series. The upcoming second series looks to be even more star-studded, with Lady Gaga, Steve Buscemi, and Thandiwe Newton also joining the cast.
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Steve Buscemi looks edgy as he is supported by rarely seen girlfriend Karen Ho at Wednesday series two premiere in London
Steve Buscemi put on an edgy display edgy as he was supported by his rarely seen girlfriend Karen Ho at the premiere of Netflix hit Wednesday's second series. The actor, 67, will star as Principal Barry Dort the new head of Nevermore Academy when the gothic comedy drama returns to screens August 6. Walking the red carpet on Wednesday evening, he dressed in a black band T-shirt which he teamed with straight leg jeans. Steve layered over a smart blazer and topped his outfit off with a pair of leather boots. Karen opted for a black midi dress which featured a corset-style top half and a full A-line skirt. The series, which follows the antics of Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega), debuted on the streaming service in November 2022. It was quickly renewed for a second series in January 2023. Steve Buscemi put on an edgy display edgy as he was supported by his rarely seen girlfriend Karen Ho at the premiere of Netflix hit Wednesday's second series It is one in a series of takes over the years on The Addams Family, the eccentric fictional old-money clan, famously macabre and gothic in manner and look. The second series of the Emmy-winning programme, executive produced and often directed by horror icon Tim Burton, 66, is set for release on 6 August 2025. And now, it has been announced that not only will Wednesday be back for a third series, but a spin-off programme is currently under discussion, according to Hollywood Reporter. Fans were delighted to hear the fate of the beloved show has been secured, taking to social media to express their excitement. Catherine Zeta-Jones posted on Instagram confirming the news: 'When Wednesday comes a better day. 'Wednesday season three. It's official... we shall return.' One fan wrote in the comments section: 'And for many more seasons.'; 'I love this because then they can start filming soon and it won't be such a long pause between seasons! Or that's the hope!' The second series was announced in January 2023, but by the time it comes out later this year, it will have been more than two years in the making. The first series of Wednesday follows the titular troublemaker character after she is expelled and transferred to Nevermore Academy, a school for monstrous outcasts. Her cool, creepy manner and rebellious streak often see her in trouble and struggling to fit in. But after she discovers she is a psychic like her mother and applies her skills to solving a local murder case, she soon finds her stride. The programme boasts an impressive regular cast, with Game of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie and Narcos' Luis Guzman also starring. They feature as Nevermore headteacher Larissa Weems and Wednesday's father, Gomez Addams, respectively. The upcoming second series looks to be even more star-studded, with Lady Gaga, Joanna Lumley, Steve Buscemi, and Thandiwe Newton also joining the cast. Star Jenna and director Tim also worked together on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the 2024 sequel to the original 1988 horror film starring Winona Ryder. And they have now told all about what fans can expect from the upcoming second series and the newly announced third instalment. Scream queen Jenna, who rose to fame in slashers Scream, X and Scream VI, was embroiled in controversy in recent months for comments she made during a podcast interview. She said she spent her time on the show 'changing lines' and 'had to put my foot down' because 'everything I had to play did not make sense for the character'. Jenna said she felt terrible about this and never meant it that way, simply meaning to say she improvised a lot and was permitted to. Tim sympathised with her, feeling the comments had been interpreted in a way she had not meant. But the pair revealed that after these events, Jenna is now a producer on the show. Co-creator Alfred Gough, who made the show with Miles Millar, said this made sense, as she is already so involved in every part of the show, as well as giving notes on the script, in a way he praised. Wednesday's first series pulled in a whopping 252million viewers globally, making it Netflix's biggest English-language series of all time. Alfred has now teased a spin-off: 'It's something we're definitely noodling; there are other characters we can look at.' Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria, meanwhile, added: 'There's a lot to explore in the Addams Family.' New cast member Joanna Lumley previously told Netflix news site Tudum: 'There's always something thrilling about working for Tim Burton. 'His whole mind takes him to a different world, and the world that they've created here for Wednesday and Nevermore and the family is just intoxicating.
Forbes
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Photos: Tim Burton, Jenna Ortega, Stars At ‘Wednesday' Season 2 Premiere
Director Tim Burton and Wednesday stars Jenna Ortega, Catherin Zeta-Jone, Luis Guzman, Fred Armisen and Joanna Lumley were among the stars who attended the purple carpet world premiere of second season of the Netflix series Wednesday in London. Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 premieres on Netflix on Wednesday, Aug. 6. The official summary for the series this season reads, Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega), returns to prowl the Gothic halls of Nevermore Academy, where fresh foes and woes await. "This season, Wednesday must navigate family, friends and old adversaries, propelling her into another year of delightfully dark and kooky mayhem. Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery.' Below are more photos from the Wednesday Season 2 World Premiere event, which was held at Central Hall in London. Jenna Ortega poses on the purple carpet at the Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 premiere event. Tim Burton also posed for photos as the Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 event in London. Catherine Zeta-Jones, who stars as Morticia Addams, was promoted from a guest star to a cast regular for Wednesday Season 2 poses at the purple carpet world premiere. Joy Sunday, Jenna Ortega and Emma Myers attend the Wednesday Season 2 Part 1 purple carpet event. Sunday reprises her Season 1 role as Bianca Barclay and Myers is back as Enid Sinclair for the sophomore season of the blockbuster Netflix series. Luis Guzmán, who stars as Gomez Addams, was also promoted from guest stars in Wednesday Season 1 to cast regular in Season 2. Note: This is a developing story and this photo feature will be updated shortly with more photos from the 'Wednesday' Season 2 Part 1 premiere in London.
