Why Is Wednesday Season 2 Delayed Until 2025?
The Netflix series’ first season opened to huge ratings and critical acclaim. So what’s preventing Wednesday Season 2 from moving forward?
The first season of Netflix’s Wednesday became one of the streaming service’s biggest hits when it premiered on Nov. 23, 2022. Not only did it benefit from the celebrated stylings of director Tim Burton, but it made a star out of Jenna Ortega, and even launched a social media dance craze based on the title character’s now-iconic moves at her high school rave. Perhaps most importantly, it delivered a funny and respectful update on the beloved Addams Family franchise by sending the oldest daughter Wednesday to boarding school and letting her stand on her own for the first time. In light of all that, it can be a little surprising to learn that Season 2 of Wednesday currently lacks a premiere date.
With shooting for Wednesday Season 2 not slated to begin until April, and post-production likely a lengthy process considering the show’s copious special effects, the second season is off the service’s fall schedule and will debut no earlier than 2025. That’s quite a wait for a successful show, especially since the second season was announced back in January 2023, shortly after the first season’s resounding success. The reasons for the delay come down to several factors, most of which stem from either necessity or from things outside the production’s hands. Here’s a breakdown of all the pertinent reasons for Season 2’s delay as of this writing and the ways they have presumably affected the release date for the hit series.
Jenna Ortega Will Serve as Producer on Wednesday Season 2
The series simply couldn’t exist without Jenna Ortega, serving as the unquestioned centerpiece in almost every scene. The actor has quickly made Wednesday Addams her own, stepping into the long shadow left behind by Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday in the 1990s live-action Addams Family movies. While Lisa Loring may have been the first live-action Wednesday in The Addams Family TV series from the 1960s, Ricci still delivered one of the definitive versions of the character.
It’s very clear that Ortega is the most important factor in the series, which is reflected by her status as a producer starting on Season 2. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ortega cited how often actors are shut out of the process — particularly younger actors and women — and wanted to ensure that her ideas on the character were heard in a collaborative environment. That entails a good deal more work, since her producer’s duties come on top of the demanding needs of a lead actor. It also requires a lot of effort early on, as scripts are being assembled and the storylines for Season 2 are put in place.
It comes in the name of an improved final product, and with Ortega absolutely necessary for the series to work, getting more of her input earlier bodes well for the second season. Unfortunately, the day still has only 24 hours, and pre-production schedules are apt to expand simply for the very busy star to fit everything in. The slowdown cannot help but affect the other delays impacting the series as well.
Wednesday’s Shooting Location Has Changed for Season 2
Wednesday Season 1 was filmed in Romania, which helped achieve the series’ Gothic look and provided a number of other benefits to the production. Season 2 is undergoing a change in venue, and while details are scarce, a Nov. 13, 2023 article in Deadline cites “logistical challenges” in Romania that caused the production to close up shop. That may not be surprising considering the widespread rumors that Season 2 will entail a big change in the in-universe venue, with Nevermore Academy still closed after the Season 1 finale and Wednesday returning to her family’s estate.
With the production needing a different look and with already existing logistical problems becoming thornier, Romania was likely no longer a good fit for what Wednesday has in mind. Plans were afoot to move production even before the Hollywood strikes and other delays. Instead, Wednesday Season 2 will be filmed in Ireland, with production beginning in April if all goes as reported. The press kit for the series quotes executive producer Steve Stark, who filmed his series Vikings in Ireland and knows the parameters involved.
This sort of change entails inevitable delays as equipment and personnel need to be moved from Romania, new sets need to be built, and new accommodations need to be made for the cast and crew. That comes on top of the already daunting needs of getting work permits and similar paperwork required when setting up shop in a new country. Presumably, the logistics in Ireland will be better able to accommodate all of that, but it still takes time. The April 2024 start date was likely the earliest reasonable timetable considering all the factors involved.
The WAG and SAG-AFTRA Strikes Caused Industry-Wide Delays
Hollywood was hit by a pair of important labor strikes in 2023: one for the writer’s union and one for the actor’s. At stake was the bigger share of the profits for content creators, as well as the looming issue of artificial intelligence in the media. The WGA walked off first, with work stoppage beginning on May 2, 2023. The WGA didn’t come to an agreement until Sept. 27, 2023, making it tied for the second-longest strike in the union’s history. SAG-AFTRA didn’t go on strike until July 14, but they took a few additional weeks to reach a settlement, which they signed on Nov. 9, 2023.
The settlements were hard-won and sorely needed, but they also resulted in a six-month delay. That’s going to make 2024 a comparatively light year for entertainment, as studios and creators alike absorb the lost time and get back up to speed. It can already be seen in quieter film release schedules, shifting release dates, and similar developments across the whole of pop culture. Wednesday hasn’t been spared that toll, and the timing of the strikes all but sank any possibility that the series would return in 2024. The good news is that the additional time should result in a more polished final product. The importance of the strike isn’t lost on Wednesday’s writers and cast, without whom there wouldn’t be a show at all.
The Production Is Apt to Be Longer Than Normal
Season 1’s production schedule took well over seven months, lasting from September 2021 until March 2022. The series itself didn’t premiere until nearly eight months after that, presumably for post-production work and a proper amount of time to promote the series. Season 2 is apt to take at least as long, and possibly longer, especially if they have plans for a bigger or more complicated plot. Considering the wait, and considering the need to top the sky-high success of the first season, there’s likely to be a lot more logistics and planning involved.
Rumors have abounded about whether the Addams Family estate will appear in Season 2, which will require new sets to be constructed. Any similar new location will require the same. All of which likely means a shoot at least as long as the first season’s, and likely quite a bit longer. Even if seven months is an accurate yardstick, an April 2024 start would last at least until late October, with post-production stretching well into the new year. On top of the other delays, Netflix wisely decided to keep the show off of its fall 2024 schedule rather than rush through an inadequate production.
As of this writing, the exact release date is still unknown. Netflix could choose to release it early in 2025 to minimize any further delay, or wait until the fall, which worked like a charm for Season 1. Either way, the confluence of events that kept Wednesday’s anticipated second season on hold were both unavoidable and, in many cases, necessary. Hopefully, that will play dividends with a strong and successful second season.