Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Film and TV, Netflix
Callum Jones
A cast member of the Netflix hit series Wednesday has quit before filming for season two has concluded, it has been confirmed.
The Addams Family spin-off show instantly became a huge hit when it first dropped on the popular streaming platform in November 2022.
In case you were living under a rock in 2022, the first series revolved around Wednesday's admittance into Nevermore Academy, later being involved in a murder mystery - which she is determined to solve.
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Jenna Ortega played the titular role of Wednesday Addams, and was joined by Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams and Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams.
For her portrayal of the beloved character, Ortega even snagged a Golden Globe nomination for her performance, making her one of the youngest nominees ever at just 20-years-old.
So, it's not a big surprise that a second season was swiftly commissioned by Netflix.
Production on the second season was well underway in Romania, but then, of course, the SAG-AFTRA strikes commenced, meaning that filming across Hollywood was immediately halted.
With the strike still taking place many months later, filming for many shows have been unable to continue - with the second season of Wednesday expected to be released on Netflix in 2024.
But the show has been dealt a big blow as it was confirmed that Thora Birch has had to leave the show before the production ceased filming.
A representative for MGM, who produces Wednesday, told Deadline: "Thora has returned to the States to attend to a personal matter and will not be returning to the production."
The American Beauty star was due to play Wednesday’s dorm mother, Tamara Novak in season two - with her previous dorm mother having being played by Christina Ricci, who is well-known for her portrayal of Wednesday in 1991's The Addams Family and 1993's Addams Family Values.
Sources told Deadline that Birch allegedly had to pull out of the show due to an illness in the family.
The report also states that while she did not complete all of her scenes for season two, she had 'finished filming the bulk' of them.
Despite that, it doesn't necessarily mean that we might not see Birch's work in season two of Wednesday, as it has been left unclear as to whether the Hocus Pocus star's scenes will be reshot alongside a new character or the series' makers will need to use an entirely new character to complete Tamara's storyline.
UNILAD has contacted Birch's representatives for comment.