Billie Piper Joins Wednesday Season 2 as Mysterious Music Teacher

Netflix has released the first official look at Billie Piper on the gothic horror series Wednesday, in which the actor has been cast for the upcoming season 2. The 42-year-old star will play Isadora Capri, the music head of Nevermore Academy, who has a special interest in Wednesday Addams’ musical genius.

Fans of the British star will know her for her gothic turn as Brona Croft/The Bride of Frankenstein in Penny Dreadful, and her character, Isadora Capri, is no different, with Billie reportedly coming in as a “once child musical prodigy who still has a mysterious past of her own”. Wednesday will follow Isadora mentoring the series’ werewolf Enid Sinclair, played by Emma Myers, while developing a special interest in Wednesday’s musical skills.

The first look at Piper was released by Netflix alongside a huge announcement for the record-breaking series. The American remake of The Addams Family originally launched on the streaming service in November 2022 and quickly became a worldwide sensation. Breaking through to 252 million viewers across the globe, the series has become Netflix’s largest English-language show to date, across all of its history.

The success of the horror-comedy quickly led to the show’s renewal, with Wednesday returning for a second season in January 2023, with the release date finally set for August this year.

The series stars 22-year-old Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, the melancholic heroine of this macabre twist on the well-known family. The show follows her life at Nevermore Academy, a school for supernatural misfits in Arizona, with a series of horror tropes mixed with teen angst and dark comedy. Wednesday quickly became a hit with both critics and audiences, earning Emmy nominations and a massive fanbase.

Wednesday season 3 confirmed, and spin-off show in the works

Alongside the announcement of Billie Piper for the new season, Netflix also confirmed that Wednesday has been renewed for a third series. In addition, a spin-off series is also in early talks, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter.

The studio has yet to announce any details of what a possible spin-off would be, but co-creator Alfred Gough did hint at some of the potential in an interview: “It’s something that we’re noodling; there are other characters we can play in that universe.”

The news has been met with excitement from fans, with many also finding out the renewal from Catherine Zeta-Jones herself, who plays Morticia Addams. On Wednesday, the Welsh star wrote an Instagram post teasing the show’s return: “When Wednesday comes, a better day. Wednesday season three. It’s official… we shall return.” The comments are quickly filled with supportive comments, including “And for many more seasons,” and “I can’t wait to see the second season, I’m waiting for it with great curiosity… and the third is already official, fantastic news!”

Some fans have expressed hopes that production can begin quickly this time, as they are not keen for another two-year wait. The second season of Wednesday was announced in January 2023, but will arrive more than two years after the series first launched, much to the dismay of impatient fans. One viewer wrote in their comment, “I’ll be gripping the sheets in agony waiting, but please…don’t let us wait three years again.”

The macabre auteur Tim Burton, 66, will return as an executive producer and occasional director on the second season, with Wednesday continuing his distinctive gothic look and feel. Burton also recently worked with Ortega on Beetlejuice, the sequel to his cult classic film from 1988.

The season will feature plenty of star power, in addition to Billie Piper. Lady Gaga, Steve Buscemi, Joanna Lumley, and Thandiwe Newton will all join the cast for season 2, alongside returning mainstays like Gwendoline Christie as headteacher Larissa Weems and Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams.

Ortega will also take a more prominent role behind the camera, with the actress becoming an official producer on the season after some controversy over a podcast interview. During a sit-down with Collider last year, Ortega had commented on a few character inconsistencies in Wednesday, noting she often had to “put my foot down” with staff. “I would sometimes change lines, yeah,” she added.

Ortega’s comments led to the actress receiving the full support of Tim Burton, who noted they had been misconstrued, but Ortega also received support from co-creator Alfred Gough. Gough spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the actress’s role, saying her title was a natural move, as she is “already in the producers’ chair all the time.” Ortega would frequently read the script and give “really insightful notes”, according to Gough.

Joanna Lumley has said she is excited to work with Tim Burton, commenting: “There’s always something thrilling about working for Tim Burton, because his whole mind takes him to a different world, and the world that they’ve created here for Wednesday and Nevermore and the family is just intoxicating.”