They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re all together ooky, The Addams Family!
It’s hard not to think of the iconic theme song from the Addams Family when thinking about the gruesome brood. Originally launched as a comic strip in 1938 by artist Charles Addams in the New Yorker, the work became a cultural phenomenon and turned the nuclear family on its head with its biting satire and dark humour. While original comic work hasn’t been done in quite some time, their name lives on in the hearts of those who bend a little weird and it seems they’re not done yet.
Last year, MGM announced an animated reboot of The Addams Family set to be released in late 2019. After several speculations of the cast (with a confirmed Oscar Isaac as Gomez), MGM has recently announced the voice talent, acquiring: Charlize Theron as Morticia, Bette Midler as Grandmama, Chloe Grace Mortez as Wednesday, Finn Wolfhard as Pugsley, and Nick Kroll as Uncle Fester. Alison Janney will voice the new nemesis Margaux Needler. Now that IS a mass of talent!
The movie will be handled by Sausage Party director Conrad Vernon with the script written by Pamela Pettler (Corpse Bride, Monster House) and revisions by Matt Lieberman. Pettler based the script off the original comic short and plans to reboot the family with its original dark twist. The plot will focus on the family facing off against reality TV show host Needler while planning for a huge family reunion Addams style! What little preview art has been released shows the family in their traditional, comic strip design complete with a thick Gomez, spider thin Morticia, and wonky baby-doll Wednesday. When asked about his inspiration to stick to the original designs, Vernon states:
“Greg and I have always been a fan of the Addams Family in past versions, so when we set out to make this movie, we were excited to do something new. With that in mind, I drew from the brilliantly original Charles Addams New Yorker cartoons for the look of the film and decided to tell the story of how Gomez and Morticia meet, find their house and start their family. This unique approach is what drew me in to direct the film. The reimagining also extends to the stellar cast we’ve put together who will each bring their own spin to our film that will appeal to longtime fans of the Addams and introduce them to a new generation.”
And hopefully it will! The Addams Family will be hitting theatres October 11, 2019, almost in time for Halloween.
Words: Svetlana Fedotov
