Entertainment Movies Horror & Thriller Movies Netflix's Addams Family Spin-Off 'Wednesday' Sees 'Murder, Mayhem, Mystery' — and a Pool Full of Piranhas The new Netflix series, directed by Tim Burton, features Jenna Ortega in the role of Wednesday Addams as she navigates life at a boarding school for outcasts By Shafiq Najib Shafiq Najib Shafiq Najib is a former writer-reporter at PEOPLE. He left PEOPLE in 2023. People Editorial Guidelines Published on August 17, 2022 11:00AM EDT The Addams Family is returning to the screen — and it's even creepier and spookier than before! Netflix has released the official trailer for its new series Tim Burton-directed series Wednesday. Featuring the beloved characters by cartoonist Charles Addams, the show follows the story of Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) as she navigates her life at Nevermore Academy. At the boarding school for outcasts, Wednesday "attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town, and solve the murder mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago," per a description from Netflix. Everything to Know About Netflix's Upcoming Addams Family Series Wednesday The new teaser trailer begins with Wednesday entering her regular public school at Nancy Reagan High School, donning her iconic long braided pigtails. While she makes her way into the school hall, her presence is met with stares from other students. netflix A voice-over later can be heard saying in the background: "Miss Addams, you certainly had a very interesting education journey." Another voice adds, "Eight schools in five years." The next scene shows Wednesday walking into the swimming pool area where male students are attending their swim practice. "Hey freak, this is a closed practice," one student shouts from the pool, attempting to make fun of her. His comments are followed by the laugh of other students. "The only person who gets to torture my brother is me," Wednesday replies before revealing two plastic bags full of piranhas in her hands and releasing them into the water. Tim Burton's Upcoming Wednesday Addams Netflix Series Rounds Out Its Main Cast As the students try to swim their way out of the pool, one boy, in particular, is seen screaming in pain after being bitten by the vicious fish. Wednesday smiles as she watches the event unfold. "Getting expelled was just a bonus," she says in the background. netflix Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán — who portray Wednesday's parents, Morticia and Gomez Addams — later take their daughter to her new school. "You will love Nevermore," Gomez reassures his daughter. "It's a magical place." "Finally, you got to be around peers who understand you," Morticia says as a group of students from the academy welcome Wednesday into the school. "Maybe, you will even make some friends." Catherine Zeta-Jones Is Eerily 'Glamorous' as Morticia Addams in First Look at Netflix's Wednesday As Wednesday begins her new chapter at the school, one friendly student asks, "Wanna take a stab at being social?" Wednesday quips, "I do like stabbing." Matthias Clamer/Netflix for Vanity Fair The clip continues with a slew of horror and brutal incidents, including "murder, mayhem and mystery," as Wednesday describes in her voice-over. "I think I'm going to love it here," she adds. Addams' characters were first introduced in a New Yorker comic strip in the late 1930s, consisting of parents Gomez and Morticia Addams, children Wednesday and Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Grandmama, butler Lurch and Cousin Itt. Wednesday Season 2: All About the Spooky Netflix Series' Next Chapter Several onscreen adaptations have been created since, including an ABC sitcom running from 1964 to 1966, two animated series in 1973 and 1992, another live-action show titled The New Addams Family in 1998, The Addams Family movie in 1991 and its 1993 sequel Addams Family Values, and two animated films in 2019 and 2021. In addition to Ortega, Zeta-Jones and Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez (Pugsley Addams), Gwendoline Christie (Principal Larissa Weems), Jamie McShane (Sheriff Galpin), Percy Hynes White (Xavier Thorpe), Hunter Doohan (Tyler Galpin), Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay), Naomi J Ogawa (Yoko Tanaka), Moosa Mostafa (Eugene Ottinger), Georgie Farmer (Ajax Petropolus), Riki Lindhome (Dr. Valerie Kinbott) and Christina Ricci (Marilyn Thornhill) are set to star in Wednesday. With this new Netflix series, comprising of eight episodes, Ortega joins the list of actresses who've played the iconic character over the years, including Ricci, Lisa Loring and Chloë Grace Moretz. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Wednesday is expected to drop later this year on Netflix. Close