Wednesday Season 2 Promises Bigger Cast and Deeper Mysteries

Netflix has released the first look of Billie Piper in her new role for season two of the breakout gothic comedy Wednesday. Starring Jenna Ortega as the young Wednesday Addams, the upcoming second installment of the series will also include Piper as a new character.

At 42, Billie Piper is joining an already star-studded cast. The actress will play Isadora Capri, the formidable and quirky head of music at Nevermore Academy. Piper’s gothic credentials are well-established after she played Brona Croft/The Bride of Frankenstein in Penny Dreadful. Her new role as Isadora Capri has been described as a “former child prodigy” with an interest in Wednesday’s musical abilities. Piper is also set to play music teacher to werewolf student Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers).

Netflix’s first look at Billie Piper as Isadora Capri. Credit: Netflix

Netflix announced the first look of Billie Piper in the new role alongside an update on the future of the record-breaking series. First released on the platform in November 2022, Wednesday quickly became a global sensation. Attracting a total of 252 million viewers worldwide, the show has become Netflix’s most-watched English-language series of all time.

Renewed for a second season in January 2023, Wednesday is now confirmed to return in August this year. The series, a horror-comedy-meets-teen-drama, is a darker reimagining of the Addams Family universe. It follows Wednesday Addams (22-year-old Jenna Ortega) as she begins her new life at Nevermore Academy, a school for supernatural oddballs. Wednesday saw the return of family favorites like Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Pugsley (Logan, Sophia), and Gomez (Luis Guzmán) as Wednesday and her parents work to balance her social life with family expectations. The show won critical acclaim for its unique blend of horror, comedy, and teen angst, as well as its award-nominated performance by Ortega. Wednesday also earned an Emmy for casting and has amassed a cult following in the two years since its debut.

Wednesday: Season Two Renewed as Billie Piper Joins the Cast

Billie Piper is not the only announcement to come with Wednesday’s new season. Netflix has confirmed Wednesday for a third season, and a spin-off series is reportedly already in discussions.

The upcoming third installment of the series was officially confirmed in a tweet by co-creator Alfred Gough alongside the cast update. The spin-off, while not yet officially confirmed, has been reported by The Hollywood Reporter and is, at the very least, already being discussed by those involved. Gough teased the news by saying, “It’s something we’re noodling; there are other characters we can look at.”

Fans have since flooded social media with their joy at the news, and Catherine Zeta-Jones confirmed the series renewal herself in an Instagram post. Captioning an image of the family saying “Wednesday” in unison, Zeta-Jones wrote, “When Wednesday comes, a better day. Wednesday season three. It’s official… we shall return.”

Commenters replied with, “And for many more seasons,” “Season three let’s goooo,” and “I can’t wait to see the second season, I’m waiting for it with great curiosity… and the third is already official, fantastic news!”

Some also noted that they hoped shooting could begin soon, as many fans hope the wait for the new season will not be as long as the two years that have passed since season one. For others, however, it was a relief that the wait was over. One fan said, “I’ll be gripping the sheets in agony waiting, but please… don’t let us wait three years again.” Both seasons two and the third were renewed in January 2023, but season two won’t air until August.

The 66-year-old director will be back as executive producer and an occasional director on the series. Burton recently reunited with Ortega on Beetlejuice, the upcoming sequel to the 1988 cult film.

Season two sees more A-list names added to the roster. Alongside Billie Piper, the show’s new additions include Lady Gaga, Steve Buscemi, Joanna Lumley, and Thandie Newton. Regular cast members in the second season will include Gwendoline Christie as headteacher Larissa Weems, Emma Myers as werewolf student Enid Sinclair, and Luis Guzmán as Wednesday’s father, Gomez Addams.

Actress Billie Piper is on set on Wednesday. Credit: Netflix

Ortega, for her part, has now been promoted to producer following some controversy with the show. After some of her comments from a podcast interview leaked in which she seemed to suggest that she “changed lines” and “put her foot down” over character issues, the actress later stepped in to clarify her remarks. Ortega has since been promoted to producer, with co-creator Alfred Gough saying it was “totally appropriate” as Ortega had “always been at the heart of this project” and provided valuable feedback on scripts.

One of the show’s new stars, Joanna Lumley, said of working on the show, “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.”

The success of Wednesday is set to continue. Following the announcement of Billie Piper as a new cast member, the confirmation of a third season, and news of a potential spin-off series in the works, the Nevermore world is sure to expand.