Tim Burton recruits Danny Elfman for Netflix's Wednesday theme
The composer has worked with Burton on over a dozen projects
Composer Danny Elfman, a longtime collaborator with director Tim Burton, will write the score for another one of his project—this time Netflix’s live-action Wednesday Addams series. In addition to composing the theme, Elfman will work alongside fellow composer Chris Bacon (Smash, Bates Motel) on the score for the entire season of Wednesday.
The series, which serves as a spin-off of the beloved Addams Family film franchise is described as a “sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery” which charts Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at the mystical Nevermore Academy.
Throughout the show, Wednesday will attempt to master her emerging psychic ability in order to thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town. Meanwhile, she’ll have to navigate her new and tangled relationships at Nevermore.
The eight-episode season stars Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, and Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams, as well as Gwendoline Christie, Hunter Doohan, Percy Hynes White, Joy Sunday, Emma Myers, Naomi Ogawa, and Moosa Mostafa. Thora Birch recently departed filming in Romania for a “personal matter.” Instead of recasting her role as “normie” teacher Tamara Novak, the producer’s plan on introducing a new character entirely.
Burton is directing several episodes and executive producing with showrunners and Smallville creators Al Gough and Miles Millar.
Elfman and Burton have worked together on over a dozen of the director’s films beginning with 1985’s Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. The Oscar nominee also composed music for Burton’s Beetlejuice, Batman and Batman Returns, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, Mars Attacks!, Big Fish (for which Elfman earned one of his four Oscar nods), Alice in Wonderland, and more. Outside of Burton’s work, Elfman famously composed the theme song for The Simpsons among others.
There is no set premiere date for Wednesday just yet, but it’s expected to arrive on Netflix sometime in 2022.