Netflix Considering “Wednesday” Spinoff Centered Around Fred Armisen’s Uncle Fester Character

Fred Armisen’s most recent role may be festering a new series…

Netflix is looking to build a franchise around its reigning most popular series, with a Wednesday spinoff centered around the 57-year-old half-Venezuelan American actor/comedian’s Uncle Fester character in early development at the streamer from MGM Television.

Fred ArmisenConversations about the offshoot are happening alongside preparations for Season 2 of Wednesday — a new take of The Addams Family starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams — which became a ratings and pop culture phenomenon when it launched in November 2022.

The horror comedy ranks as Netflix’s most popular English-language series with 252.1M views, almost doubling the next most popular television season on the streamer.

Fred Armisen, Uncle Fester

Armisen guest starred in one episode of Wednesday‘s first season in a memorable appearance as Uncle Fester, brother of Wednesday’s father Gomez Addams (Luis Guzman), who used his ability to generate electricity to revive Thing.

Gwendoline ChristieRiki LindhomeJamie McShaneHunter DoohanPercy Hynes WhiteEmma MyersJoy SundayGeorgie Farmer, Naomi J. OgawaChristina Ricci and Moosa Mostafa co-starred in Season 1, with Catherine Zeta-Jones recurring as Wednesday’s mother Morticia.

Season 2 will be filmed in Ireland, with production tentatively slated to begin in late April. Season 1 was shot in Romania.

There is little information about where the mothership Wednesday series would go thematically in Season 2.

Gough and Millar have hinted that we might see more Addams family members — further expanding the universe and potentially setting up new offshoots — and explore further Wednesday’s relationship with her mother while Ortega, who is becoming a producer for Season 2, has indicated that the show would have stronger emphasize on horror over teen romance.

Marisol Nichols to Star in the Romantic Drama “Winter Spring Summer or Fall”

Marisol Nichols is your girl for all seasons…

The 49-year-old half-Mexican American actress and Riverdale star has joined the cast of the romantic drama Winter Spring Summer or Fall.

Marisol NicholsNichols will star opposite Jenna Ortega, Percy Hynes White and Adam Rodriguez in the project, which will mark the feature directorial debut of screenwriter Tiffany Paulsen.

Billed as Before Sunrise meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the film is written by Dan Schoffer, with revisions by Paulsen. It tells the story of teens (Ortega & White) on the cusp of adulthood who meet and fall in love over four significant days of the year.

Nichols will play Ortega’s overbearing attorney mother, who is focused on getting her only daughter into Harvard. Rodriguez is playing Ortega’s father, as previously announced.

Best known for her role as Hermione on The CW’s Riverdale, Nichols has also been seen on Teen Wolf and 24, among many other series.

She recently appeared opposite Eugenio Derbez in the Hulu rom-com The Valet and has also appeared in features including Spiral, Big Momma’s House 2BowfingerCan’t Hardly Wait and Scream 2.

Adam Rodriguez to Star in “Winter Spring Summer or Fall”

Adam Rodriguez is celebrating the four seasons…

The 47-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actor will star opposite Jenna Ortega in Winter Spring Summer or Fall for MPCA.

Adam RodriguezPercy Hynes White is also on board for the film, which Ortega will also executive produce.

The romantic drama is being helmed by writer Tiffany Paulsen, marking her feature debut.

The script was written by Dan Schoffer with revisions by Paulsen.

The film is being described as Before Sunrise meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the story follows two teens (Ortega and Hynes White) on the cusp of adulthood who meet and fall in love over four significant days of the year. Rodriguez will play Ortega’s father in the film.

Rodriguez currently stars in Criminal Minds: Evolution for Paramount+ reprising the brainy and charismatic brawny fan favorite Luke Alvez.

In addition to starring in iconic shows like the international hit series CSI: Miami and Criminal Minds, Rodriguez  was also an executive producer on multiple projects including HBO’s The Real Magic Mike, a spinoff of Steven Soderberg’s original hit film which he starred opposite Channing Tatum and is also in the upcoming Magic Mike’s Last Dance.

The Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA) has a long history of producing successful romantic comedies, most recently the No. 1 Netflix holiday rom-com Falling for Christmas and The Princess Switch trilogy, starring Vanessa Hudgens.

Previously, Rodriguez starred in and executive produced A Christmas Proposal with MPCA for CBS and Paramout+, one of the first Christmas movies on CBS which encompassed an all Latine cast.

Netflix Releases First Look at Jenna Ortega as “Wednesday” in Upcoming Addams Family Television Series

Jenna Ortega is embracing her Family

Netflix has revealed the first look at “Wednesday,” the upcoming Addams Family television series starring the famous clan’s daughter, with the 19-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress and Scream 5 star in the title role.

Jenna OrtegaFirst created by Charles Addams for a series of New Yorker cartoons, the Addams Family is a bizarre aristocratic clan with an obsession of the macabre and a complete lack of concern regarding how others perceive them.

Following their creation, the characters grew in popularity after a 1964 sitcom fleshed out their personalities, and have since starred in two live-action theatrical films, two animated series, a Broadway musical and two animated films.

The only daughter of parents Gomez and Morticia, Wednesday was depicted in the original sitcom as the most sweet-natured of the family.

However, the 1991 Barry Sonnenfeld-directed film adaptation changed her personality to be much more deadpan and sadistic, with Christina Ricci’s portrayal in the film making her one of the most popular characters in the franchise.

“Wednesday” spins-off the character as she attends a boarding school Nevermore Academy, where she develops psychic powers and investigates a supernatural killing spree connected to her own family’s history.

In addition to Ortega as Wednesday, the rest of the Addams Family will make appearances in the show. Catherine Zeta-Jones is part of the main cast as matriarch Morticia, while Victor Dorobantu plays the disembodied hand servant of the family, Thing. Isaac Ordonez plays Wednesday’s brother Pugsley in a recurring role, while George Burcea plays the family manservant Lurch. Luis Guzmán will guest star in the series as Wednesday’s father Gomez.

The main cast of the show includes Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Percy Hynes White, Gwendoline Christie, Thora Birch, Hunter Doohan, Joy Sunday, Emma Myers, Georgie Farmer, Naomi Ogawa and Moosa Mostafa. In a nod to the ’90s films, Ricci will also appear in an unconfirmed role.

Al Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of the Superman series Smallville, serve as showrunners and executive producers for the series.

Tim Burton will also executive produce and direct the majority of episodes, with Gandja Monteiro and James Marshall serving as additional directors.

 

The series is produced by MGM Television for Netflix.

CBS All Access Orders Second Season of Zabryna Guevara’s “The Twilight Zone”

Zabryna Guevara is still zoning out…

CBS All Access has ordered a second season The Twilight Zone, itsanthology series starring the 47-year-old Afro-Latina American actress.

Zabryna Guevara

The CBS All Access series is a modern reimagining of Rod Serling’s original, which aired from 1959-64 on CBS and became a worldwide phenomenon, using socially conscious storytelling to explore the human condition and culture of the times.

Jordan Peele and Simon Kinberg’s reimagining of The Twilight Zone is off to an amazing start on CBS All Access, driving the most viewers on its premiere day for an original series to date,” said Julie McNamara, EVP Original Content at CBS All Access. “Jordan, Simon, the creative team and cast have done a phenomenal job translating the series’ legacy of socially conscious storytelling for modern-day audiences. They are master storytellers, and we look forward to bringing fans further into The Twilight Zone with a second season.”

CBS announced in 2017 that it would revive The Twilight Zone for streaming service CBS All Access with Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions and Simon Kinberg’s Genre Films.

The anthology series features Peele as host and narrator with cast members including Guevara, Ike BarinholtzZazie BeetzJohn ChoLucinda DryzekTaissa FarmigaJames FrainBetty GabrielGinnifer GoodwinPercy Hynes-WhiteGreg KinnearLuke KirbySanaa Lathan, Kumail NanjianiChris O’DowdSeth RogenAdam ScottRhea SeehornAlison Tolman,Jacob TremblayJefferson WhiteJonathan WhitesellJessica WilliamsDeWanda Wise and Steven Yeun.

The first season of The Twilight Zone is airing on-demand at CBS All Access. The series’ first five episodes are available with new episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays.

The Twilight Zone is produced by CBS Television Studiosin association with Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions and Kinberg’s Genre Films. Peele and Kinberg serve as executive producers.

Guevara’s previous television credits include appearances in New AmsterdamThe Handmaid’s TaleGothamand Chicago Med.