Credit: NetflixNetflix’s Wednesday was a surprise smash hit that turned young starlet Jenna Ortega (Scream, Beetlejuice 2) into a modern horror icon within a year. The series also created a new generation of fans as viewers fell in love with the world of The Addams Family once again. As fans wait impatiently for the misadventures of the morbid-loving crime-solver in Season Two, Wednesday is back in time for Halloween for a new limited special.
Wednesday was a character based on the popular 1938 comic strip that became a classic 1960s live-action sitcom, which would later be rebooted into two cinematic masterpieces by Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black, A Series of Unfortunate Events) from the 90s. The mythology centered around a bizarre, yet endearing family obsessed with anything gruesome or grotesque. They were meant to be a parody on what would be the opposite of an All-American, clean-cut, conservative family.
Their interactions with “normal” families would create hilarious hijinks as the family struggled to understand American social norms and cultural practices. Despite their constant fascination with death and torture, their love for each other is what made them relatable and likeable to audiences.
They would actually inspire Tim Burton’s classic gothic tone, coupled with campy humor. This unrivaled style would create a built-in fanbase that would span over three decades. So when it was announced that the eldest Addams child was receiving a reimagined solo series, the legendary director was the obvious choice to helm the project. Together with composer Danny Elfman, Wednesday would effectively update this delightful morose franchise once again for a modern audience.
Some critics roasted the show as another formulaic CW-like teenage melodrama that rips off Harry Potter. However, its refreshing blend of horror, murder mystery, and dark humor maintained the elements that made the franchise a beloved cultural phenomenon in the first place.
Now, the National Entertainment Collectibles and Announcements (NECA) has introduced new special edition merch based on Wednesday just in time for Halloween. They have added their wildly popular “Toony Terrors” and Head Knockers to the new Wednesday line.
The first series of the “Toony Terrors” will star Wednesday dressed in her Nevermore uniform, another figure has Wednesday donning her classic black dress, Wednesday’s vivacious roommate Enid the werewolf has her own figure, as well as the iconic Thing. Each of the Wednesday figures depict her snapping her fingers to reference the classic Addams Family theme music.
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Each figurine will include a cardboard cutout backdrop to set up a terrifying scenario, much like all previous “Toony Terrors” horror collectibles. The Head Knocker Wednesday showcases her withdrawn stance with her arms folded in her black outfit. This is identical to how she was portrayed in the advertising for the Wednesday series.
NECA has used their “Toony Terrors” line as a fantastic expressive medium since it transforms many renowned horror icons, like Michael Myers and M3GAN, into Saturday morning cartoon-like characters. Wednesday’s aesthetic has proven ideal due to her animated legacy.
This generation one series will be an exclusive offer as the company will gage its demand on whether to include more characters from the Wednesday universe, such as the morose matron, Morticia Addams and the revolting creature from Season One, the Hyde in the future.
The new exclusive Wednesday “Toony Terrors” Series 1 6-inch figures are available for pre-order here.
Wednesday is still streaming on Netflix.