Yesterday brought some perfect spooky season news, as we learned that Tim Burton is working on a live-action TV reboot of The Addams Family. Though last year’s animated movie did well, fans have really been waiting for the altogether ooky clan to make a return in the flesh and the Edward Scissorhands director seems like the perfect person to helm such a project. It’s no surprise, then, that the series is at the heart of a bidding war between different platforms, including Netflix.
Deadline broke the story on the show this Thursday, revealing that MGM – who’ve held the rights to Charles Addams’ creations since the iconic 60s sitcom – is producing, but it’s not yet known exactly where it’ll end up, as “the package has multiple buyers bidding for it.” However, the trade notes that Netflix is most likely going to be the victor here, as “sources say [they’re] at the top of the list of landing the project.”
Burton is in the midst of negotiations to exec produce the series, as well as potentially direct all episodes of its first season, and Smallville creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar will serve as showrunners. Though plot details are scarce, this new take is set to be a contemporary reimagining of the Addams, with a particular focus on teenage daughter Wednesday and how the goth girl reacts to the world of 2020.
Deadline’s report didn’t mention anything about casting, so fans have been theorizing like mad on social media. Burton tends to work with the same pool of actors and as such, it shouldn’t be too hard to fight out who he’s going to cast in certain roles. He’s employed Eva Green in every one of his projects since 2012, for instance, so she could be a shoe-in for Morticia, and perhaps he’ll even rope in Johnny Depp to play Gomez?
In any case, it seems like Netflix is going to be home to Burton’s The Addams Family reboot, and once we receive any further updates, we’ll be sure to let you know.