The second season of Wednesday is already breaking records thanks to a huge filming change.
Production on the next batch of episodes is underway, with Jenna Ortega returning to play the titular Addams Family character after her shock departure from another Netflix project.
The majority of the cast are also coming back, save for one major player, who has since addressed his absence from the season two cast list. This revelation followed an obstacle faced by the series when one of the show’s original stars quit before completing their scenes.
Another difference that’s rocked this season is the filming location: whereas season one was shot in Romania, production was rumoured to have been relocated to County Wicklow, Ireland.
This has now been confirmed, with Screen Ireland revealing that not only will the hugely successful Wednesday shoot there, but it is the “largest production to ever film in Ireland” when considering spend.
Logistical challenges are believed to be the reason behind the change.
To mark the filming record, Ireland’s prime minister, Taoiseach Simon Harris, visited the set, where he rubbed shoulders with the show’s creators, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, as well as series director Tim Burton, who is preparing for the release of his Beetlejuice sequel later this year.
Harris said: “I’m delighted to see Ireland continues to be chosen as a location to film series and movies which supports our economy, creates jobs, showcases our creative talents and promotes our country on a global stage.
Meanwhile, Netflix’s BP Production EMEA, Anna Mallett, who described Wednesday as a “cultural juggernaut”, added: “In recent years we have invested substantially in productions made in Ireland, such as The Siege of Jadotville, The Wonder, Bodkin and Vikings: Valhalla.”
After just one week of release, Wednesday was streamed for a total of 341.2 million hours, beating a record held by Stranger Things.
In an article about the show’s success, The Independent said that, despite Ortega’s strong lead performance, “it can’t escape certain trappings, namely the fact that it’s essentially Gen-Z Addams Family by way of Riverdale”.
Wednesday season two is expected to be released late 2024 or early 2025.
