Though the Addams family’s long-lived residence is just across the river in New Jersey, New York has housed many of the saga’s spooky and kooky adventures over the nearly 90 years of its existence, including its origins as Charles Addams’ recurring New York magazine comic in 1938.
From the inky pages of that Manhattan-based magazine, the macabre clan has crawled, crept, and sashayed into countless cultural moments across the city. New York has hosted stage revivals on Broadway (The Addams Family musical in 2010), film premieres, cast appearances, and now Netflix’s modern gothic reimagining, Wednesday. In many ways, the city has acted as a second ancestral home, less of the haunted mansion that they’re used to, and more so a cobblestoned stage for their enduring weirdness.
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All of this to say that the franchise’s history with the city made the recent immersive fan screening (that doubled as the New York premiere) of Wednesday Season 2 at the Paris Theater feel like an incredibly full-circle moment.
Wednesday, Netflix’s sharp, gothic coming-of-age series centered on the Addams Family’s morbidly witty daughter, has quickly become one of the streaming giant’s defining hits. Premiering in 2022, the show reimagines Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) as a sardonic, deadpan teen navigating the supernatural intrigue of Nevermore Academy, all while unraveling mysteries and perfecting her signature glare. Though in Ortega’s case, the glare has been perfect since episode 1.
Under the creative direction of Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, with an unmistakable Tim Burton visual flair in its first season, Wednesday blends teen drama, dark comedy, and gothic horror into a genre-bending package. It doesn’t just lean on nostalgia—it sharpens the edges of the Addams Family legacy for a new generation, giving Wednesday a more layered arc that explores friendship, identity, and the push-and-pull between embracing one’s roots and forging one’s own path. Season two comes about with an explosion of easter eggs and immersive scenes sure to excite any fan, even complete with an iconic stop motion scene from the mind of Burton in episode 1.
The series is well worth celebrating, and that it was. Dubbed as part of Netflix’s widely traveled “Doom Tour,” the New York stop delivered eerie elegance in spades. Lucky fans were allowed to meet the cast outside of the theater, with appearances by Ortega, as well as Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia Addams), Luis Guzmán (Gomez Addams), Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay), Fred Armisen (Uncle Fester), and Georgie Farmer (Ajax Petropolus). They were also given posters and exclusive Nevermore Academy merchandise.
Inside the theater, fans were being treated to Wednesday trivia, complete with prizes, while they waited for their early viewing of the highly anticipated second season. Just before the episode began, the audience was surprised with a special introduction from the cast.
“We really put so much love and effort into (this season),” Ortega said. “We’re so excited to come back to these characters and so excited to come back to you guys. Your presence here means everything to us tonight, and I’m immensely grateful. I know the entire cast feels the same. So thank you so much.”
The screening paid homage to one of the greatest things about Wednesday, the bridge it formed between many generations who love the franchise, and the creators could not have done a better job of embodying the spirit of the beloved character into a modern-day teen. The audience showcased this, with fans of all ages, many in costume, showing up with barely-contained excitement. Their black lace, striped blazers, and braided wigs turned the Paris Theater into a living, breathing Nevermore.
Part one of Wednesday season two is now on Netflix! Check it out here!
