Credit: NetflixFans of Netflix’s smash gothic hit Wednesday might want to sit down for this one: creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are headed back into the delightfully macabre world of the Addams Family — but not in the way you think.
On the latest episode of Deadline’s Crew Call podcast, marking the first installment since this year’s Emmy nominations, the duo revealed that they’re working on an entirely new animated Addams Family movie for Amazon MGM Studios.
And here’s the kicker: it’s a complete reboot with no connection whatsoever to the Netflix live-action series that made Jenna Ortega a global sensation as Wednesday Addams.
“We’re working on it with Amazon MGM and with Kevin Miserocchi who runs the Addams Foundation, he knew Charles Addams and [is] the keeper of the Addams flame, and with Gail Berman and John Glickman,” Gough told Crew Call via Deadline.
“We’re rebooting the animated film franchise. So it won’t have anything to do with the two films before it, nor is it connected with this show. It will be a brand new Addams feature. There’s not really much we can say about it, because it’s in the very early stages.”
The goal is for the new project to hit the big screen, marking a fresh cinematic chapter for one of pop culture’s most enduringly spooky families.
Not a Sequel, Not a Spinoff — A Full Reimagining
While the Addams Family has been adapted countless times — from Charles Addams’ original New Yorker cartoons in the 1930s, to the beloved ‘90s live-action films, to the recent pair of animated features, and of course Netflix’s Wednesday — this new Amazon MGM Studios version will start completely from scratch.
It’s a bold move, especially considering that the Wednesday series is still dominating streaming conversation. But Gough and Millar have proven they’re more than capable of juggling multiple projects while preserving the unique identity of each.
The writers and producers first met at the USC Peter Stark Producing Program, where they collaborated on a quirky orangutan-and-cop buddy movie called Mango, which they sold to Michael De Luca at New Line.
Since then, their partnership has survived decades in the industry, leading to blockbuster hits — most recently co-writing the upcoming Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, now under Warner Bros.
Keeping the Spirit of the Addams Alive
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Part of what makes this announcement so intriguing is the team’s connection to Kevin Miserocchi, who heads the Addams Foundation and personally knew Charles Addams. Having the “keeper of the Addams flame” involved suggests the new animated film will honor the source material while striking out in a new creative direction.
The Wednesday series itself became a cultural juggernaut when it premiered in November 2022. Directed in part by Tim Burton, the show placed a sardonic, psychic teenage Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega) at the center of a gothic mystery at Nevermore Academy.
Within weeks, it became one of Netflix’s most-watched originals of all time, second only to Squid Game.
While Gough and Millar made it clear that this new Amazon MGM movie will not feature Ortega’s Wednesday or the Netflix continuity, their success with the character shows they know how to tap into what makes the Addams Family resonate with modern audiences.
The Craft of Writing Wednesday — and Why It Won’t Carry Over
Talking about Wednesday’s appeal on Crew Call, Gough offered insight into how they approach the character. “The key with her is not writing a joke, it’s writing to her world view. That’s where it lands, and that’s where it sounds fun. Anytime you reach for a joke with this character, you wind up cutting that line.”
Unlike other young sleuths, “Wednesday isn’t your run-of-the-mill girl detective — she’s no Veronica Mars,” Gough continued. “She commits to solving the crime because someone has gaslighted her, or because she feels a truth isn’t being told, she also sticks up for the underdog.”
Gough also noted that “Wednesday came in fully formed,” but that in her stories, “she has to learn that the world works in shades of grey.”
These nuances have helped cement Netflix’s Wednesday as a modern gothic classic — but the new animated film will be building an entirely different Addams playground, with its own tone, storyline, and possibly even character focus.
Where the Netflix Series Stands Now
While the animated reboot moves forward at Amazon MGM, Netflix’s Wednesday is far from slowing down. Season 2, delayed by the writers’ and actors’ strikes, finally dropped its first half in August 2025, with part two set to premiere on September 3. On July 23, just days before the new season debuted, Netflix officially renewed the show for a third season.
Co-creator Gough said at the time: “I have been doing this long enough to know that shows like this don’t come along every day. It’s such an alchemy of writing, directing, acting, crew, streamer, studio, and fans.”
Season 3 promises to delve deeper into the Addams family tree, with Millar teasing “more Addams Family members and learning more family secrets.” Filming is expected to begin in November 2025, with a possible release in early 2027.
A Tale of Two Addams Families
For fans, this means the next few years will feature two parallel Addams projects from the same creators — one live-action and serialized on Netflix, the other animated and headed to theaters via Amazon MGM Studios. While crossover potential seems off the table, the dual presence of the Addams clan in pop culture speaks to the franchise’s incredible staying power.
From the original cartoons to sitcoms, stage musicals, blockbuster films, and now dueling modern interpretations, the Addams Family has thrived for nearly 90 years by embracing its own brand of creepy, kooky charm.
If Gough and Millar can capture that lightning in a bottle twice — once in Wednesday’s sardonic Nevermore mysteries and again in an entirely fresh animated world — they could cement themselves as the definitive creative stewards of America’s favorite macabre family.
For now, the animated reboot is still in its earliest stages, with no casting, plot, or release date confirmed. But for Addams fans, the message is clear: whether on Netflix or at the movies, the family that’s been delighting audiences since 1938 is about to get a whole new lease on (after)life.