SAG Award winner Luis Guzmán (Traffic) has closed a deal to play Gomez Addams in Wednesday, Tim Burton‘s new live-action Netflix series based on The Addams Family, Collider has exclusively learned.
Created by Smallville duo Al Gough and Miles Millar, who also serve as showrunners, Wednesday is a comedic, supernaturally-infused coming-of-age series that follows the teenage girl’s years as a student at Nevermore Academy, where she attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the town, and solve a mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new relationships at Nevermore.
Rising star Jenna Ortega (Yes Day, You, Scream) will play Wednesday Addams, while Guzmán will recur as her eccentric father. John Astin played Gomez in the original Addams Family TV show, while Raul Julia played the character on the big screen. Tim Curry also played Gomez in a direct-to-video movie, while Oscar Isaac voices the character in the current animated franchise. Ortega strikes me as a perfect fit to play Wednesday Addams, and with Burton at the helm, this is one Netflix project worth keeping a close eye on.
Burton will make his TV directing debut with the eight-episode series, which hails from MGM Television. Burton will also executive produce alongside Jonathan Glickman of Glickmania,Andrew Mittman of 1.21, Kayla Alpert, Gail Berman, Steve Stark, and Kevin Miserocchi of the Tee and Charles Addams Foundation, as well as Gough and Millar.
Guzmán may be best known for his work with A-list directors Paul Thomas Anderson and Steven Soderbergh on such films as Boogie Nights, Traffic, Magnolia, Out of Sight, Punch-Drunk Love, and The Limey. His other memorable feature credits include Carlito’s Way, Sweet Home Alabama, The Bone Collector, and The Taking of Pelham 123.
Guzmán has also left his mark on the small screen, as his TV credits include HBO‘s Oz, John From Cincinnati, and How to Make It in America, as well as Narcos, Shameless, and Code Black. He’s represented by The Gersh Agency and Gravesend Entertainment.
via Collider