Despite smashing Netflix records in its first week, Tim Burton's latest project Wednesday has already been called out for being racist.

The horror-comedy series landed on the streaming giant last week and is a fresh take on the iconic Addams Family - husband and wife Gomez and Morticia, as well as their two children Pugsley and Wednesday. It is the latter - played by Mexican and Puerto Rican actress Jenna Ortega - who is the focus of Burton's show.

Focusing on her life at a boarding school for misfits - which includes students who are werewolves, vampires, sirens, and more - Wednesday has to learn to harness her growing psychic powers while also attempting to solve a decades-long murder mystery involving her parents.

However, the show is already being criticized for its Black characters, with numerous critics arguing that they are only depicted as bullies in the series.

"Don't get me wrong…I love Jenna Ortega and that she's playing Wednesday but one thing I hate about this show is that why did they make ALL the black people in this show terrible people? Like how did Netflix see nothing wrong with this? I hate Tim Burton's racist self," someone tweeted.

The characters being referred to are Bianca - the school's 'Mean Girl' who targets Wednesday when she first starts attending - and the mayor's son who also portrays a bully. In fact, in the show the mayor owns Pilgrim World - a museum that celebrates the history of pilgrims and colonizers.

"Me trying to badly to push pass the racist and anti-Black undertones in the Wednesday Addams Netflix show. Like whoever thought making the Black man as the owner of a pilgrim amusement park is literally going to HELL," another person added.

Not everyone agreed with the comments, however, as one person commented: "Why is that bad? We have plenty of portrayals of all of the terrible people being white and literally every other race as the school bully/most popular kid. The fact that we have a Black girl as the popular snob should be a welcomed portrayal."

The backlash isn't unprecedented for 64-year-old Burton - who is most widely known for his films Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - who has previously been criticized for the lack of diversity in his films.

In 2016, Samuel L. Jackson stated that he believed he was the first Black lead of a Burton film during a promotional trail for Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Burton responded in a Bustle interview, stating: "Nowadays, people are talking about [diversity] more [...] things either call for things, or they don't. I remember back when I was a child watching The Brady Bunch and they started to get all politically correct. Like, OK, let’s have an Asian child and a Black."

"I used to get more offended by that than just… I grew up watching blaxploitation movies, right? And I said, 'that's great.' I didn’t go like, 'OK, there should be more white people in these movies,'" he added.

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Jenna Ortega has received mountains of praise for her portrayal of the lead role in Tim Burton's modern take on The Addams Family for his Netflix series Wednesday.

The series - which adds a fresh perspective on the fictional gothic Addams family - focuses on the family's eldest daughter, Wednesday Addams, and her experience at a boarding school for misfits.

Throughout the series, Wednesday learns to harness her psychic abilities while also trying to solve a decades-long murder mystery involving her parents Gomez and Morticia Addams. At the same time, Wednesday seemingly becomes enmeshed in a growing love triangle, something Ortega has since spoken out about.

In a recent interview with Etalk, the 20-year-old actress spoke out about the one aspect of the storyline she had a hard time agreeing with.

"I told them very early on that I didn't want her to be in the middle of a love triangle," Ortega stated in the interview. "I've always been against the love triangle idea. As far as the boys went, I had to accept it - but honestly, I'm going to fight this love triangle thing so hard. Because I don't think Wednesday would ever be in a love triangle."

Throughout the series, Wednesday struggles with her feelings of affection towards Xavier and Hunter - two boys who both show an interest in the moody teen.

The actress - who has spoken proudly of her Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage - revealed that she had actually addressed the love triangle issue with scriptwriters early on in the production process.

"I talked to the writers about this and they said 'don't worry, don't worry, it's not gonna be that,'" Ortega said. She then highlighted the need for movies and TV series to depict more platonic male/female relationships, adding: "I think there's an opportunity there for a really sweet, platonic relationship because I don't think it's shown enough, men and women having safe, platonic relationships that don't become romantic."

"Almost sibling-like relationships, I think that would be really wonderful to see between her and Xavier. Honestly, I think boys are probably the last thing on Wednesday's mind," she continued.

Ortega has received widespread praise for her titular role in the series - which also stars Gwendoline Christie, Christina Ricci, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. In fact, the young actress was so dedicated to her role as Wednesday that she insisted her character not blink, as previously reported.

"She doesn't blink," Ortega said. "[Burton] likes it when I tilt my chin down and look through my eyebrows, kind of like a Kubrick stare, and then I relax all the muscles in my face."

This small detail didn't go unnoticed by netizens, who have celebrated Ortega's talent. "Jenna ortega was born to be wednesday addams. sheesh," someone tweeted.

Burton himself has since applauded Ortega on her depiction of Wednesday, stating: "Jenna's one of the most talented people I've worked with.

"She's like a silent movie actress in the sense that she's able to convey things without words. Her words are very strong, and she's got a very strong point of view, but to show the subtleties underneath that was very, very exciting."

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If the rumors are true, it appears Wednesday may be leaving Netflix for season two!

Director Tim Burton's hit comedy-horror series took social media by storm following its November release on streaming giant Netflix.

Focused on all things macabre and supernatural, the show was a fresh take on the fictional Addams Family - which initially began as a comic strip in the New Yorker during the 1930s, before hitting tv screens during the 1960s and eventually culminated in two 90s movies.

Burton's series, however, centers on the family's eldest child Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega) and her time boarding at the Nevermore Academy for misfits. Throughout the show, Wednesday learns to adjust to a new school, struggles with her newfound psychic abilities, and attempts to solve a decades-long unsolved murder mystery involving her parents Morticia and Gomez Addams.

Wednesday has performed particularly well across the board, receiving favorable reviews from both critics and audience members. The Wall Street Journal wrote: "Ms. Ortega is a charismatic performer playing a character who is decidedly anti-charisma, so that's an accomplishment; she has a face that triumphs over deadpan."

The Detroit News also commended Ortega's acting skills, stating: "This is a Tim Burton production, so it looks great. But looks wouldn't matter if Jenna Ortega's deadpan wasn't just as elastic as it needed to be - she consistently pushes outside the caricature enough to keep things lively. Or deadly."

Many viewers also praised Burton for adhering to his gothic aesthetic - seen via his penchant for macabre and dark subject matter in numerous projects like A Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands.

As of December 2022, Netflix revealed that the show became the third series to hit one billion hours viewed within 28 days of release, joining Squid Game and Stranger Things, according to Collider. However, it seems that the show might not be making a return to the streaming giant. That is if the gossip is to be believed.

Apparently, Netflix is yet to officially confirm whether the show will return for season two, which seems to be a little odd given Wednesday's roaring success for the platform.

As well as this, the show's producer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) was acquired by Amazon in an $8.5 billion deal in early 2022, meaning Netflix may lose the rights to the show for a potential second season, NME detailed.

Though according to Deadline, the deal does not necessarily mean that all MGM content is shown exclusively on Amazon Prime Video, so it's possible Netflix may still retain the rights to season two of Wednesday.

Well, regardless of which platform it appears on, season two of Wednesday is sure to be just as popular as its record-breaking first season!

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Viewers of Netflix's new series Wednesday have spotted something unusual about the titular character - she never appears to blink.

Jenna Ortega, who plays Wednesday Addams in the latest series about the Addams Family's only daughter, has ended the mystery and revealed exactly why the character doesn't blink.

The latest generation of Addams Family fans have been able to see Wednesday in a whole new light, thanks to director Tim Burton's latest series, which was released on Netflix this month.

The show focuses on Wednesday's life as a student attending a boarding school for misfits, working on harnessing her growing psychic ability and attempting to solve a years-long murder mystery involving her parents.

Many fans took to Twitter to express their praise for the 20-year-old actress, with one person writing: "Jenna Ortega was born to be Wednesday Addams. Sheesh."

Last week, Ortega appeared on Today to plug her latest show, giving the hosts a glimpse as to how she and Burton worked together to create a perfectly unique version of Wednesday.

"She doesn't blink," Ortega said. "[Burton] likes it when I tilt my chin down and look through my eyebrows, kind of like a Kubrick stare, and then I relax all the muscles in my face."

According to TV Tropes, a Kubrick stare refers to: "A shot of [an actor] glowering up at the camera from beneath lowered brows. This was the trademark visual in A Clockwork Orange, and Jack Nicholson practiced it in The Shining."

In the interview, Ortega - who revealed that the show was shot in Romania - explained that shooting in the harsh winter was something she had to get accustomed to and that not blinking during the scenes was "pretty annoying."

Eventually, she was able to figure out a way around it, blinking while her co-stars said their lines and holding off when she delivered her own.

However, she seems to have caused stress among netizens, who decided to take note and check if they could catch her blinking throughout the series.

"I really wish I wouldn't have read that Jenna Ortega does not blink for the entirety of Wednesday bc now I'm going to be hyper-fixated on seeing if she ever blinks," someone commented on Twitter.

"Well thanks, now I'm gonna have to pay attention, too," another user replied.

Though, one commenter added that they'd caught Ortega blinking several times, adding: "She does frequently. I was looking for it and she blinks and lot during the scenes when she is at her writing desk."

Burton himself has praised Ortega, stating in a recent interview: "Jenna's one of the most talented people I've worked with. She's like a silent movie actress in the sense that she's able to convey things without words. Her words are very strong, and she's got a very strong point of view, but to show the subtleties underneath that was very, very exciting."

"It's exciting to see Wednesday as an older character, we usually see Wednesday as a younger girl, and so it was exciting to explore those weird feelings you have as a teenager that sometimes never really leave you," he added, via Express.

The macabre series - also starring Catherine Zeta-Jones as Wednesday's mother Morticia and former Wednesday actress Christina Ricci as the young teen's teacher - is available to watch now on Netflix.

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Jenna Ortega has finally confirmed who she wants Wednesday Addams to end up with (spoiler alert: it's not Tyler or Xavier).

The 20-year-old actress - who portrays the titular character in Tim Burton's latest Netflix series Wednesday - seems to have spoken out about who she feels the gothic teen should end up with romantically.

Burton's series is a modern-day take on the fictional Addams family - an odd aristocratic family who are seemingly oblivious to others' disgust in their obsession with the macabre. The family - parents Gomez and Morticia, and children Wednesday and Pugsley - were first portrayed in The New Yorker in the 1930s. Then, in the 1960s the family sprung to life in a live-action television series.

Many current fans of the Addamses will have most likely seen them in the hit 90s films - The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993) - starring Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, and a young Christina Ricci.

The latest Netflix series focuses solely on Wednesday, however, and explores her time as a student at a boarding school for misfits. Throughout the series, she attempts to harness her newfound psychic abilities and solve a decades-long murder mystery involving her parents.

The usually monotone teen slowly warms up to her fellow students, making friends along the way and seemingly becoming embroiled in a love triangle between Tyler, a kind barista, and Xavier, a strange outcast. As previously reported, Ortega has since spoken about how she originally had a hard time agreeing with the idea of a love triangle.

"I told [the scriptwriters] very early on that I didn't want her to be in the middle of a love triangle," Ortega stated in the interview. "I've always been against the love triangle idea. As far as the boys went, I had to accept it - but honestly, I'm going to fight this love triangle thing so hard. Because I don't think Wednesday would ever be in a love triangle."

Now, it seems the actress has revealed that she really hoped her character would become romantically involved with Enid, her roommate and best friend. Speaking to PRIDE, Ortega stated: "In a perfect world, we would have been a thing."

Emma Myers, who portrays Enid, then added: "I always say, 'And they were roommates.'"

When the interviewer suggested: "Opposites attract," Myers replied: "Yeah, exactly."

Fans on social media have also shipped the pair, with one person even tweeting: "The way enid is quite literally the only person that Wednesdaysday actively went out of her way for to not hurt her feelings is so [LGBT]."

What do you think? Are you shipping Wednesday and Enid?

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Netflix has just dropped the trailer for Tim Burton's latest project, Wednesday.

Based on the creepy yet iconic Addams Family, Wednesday is an upcoming comedy horror series that will soon be released by the streaming giant.

The Netflix series was already trending across social media earlier this year after an account named @WednesdayAddams posted a tweet in June that read: "I've started this account as an experiment in sadism. Thing tells me Twitter is the most effective place to feel pain and misery. Let the games begin."

The upcoming project is set to star Jenny Ortega as Wednesday Addams, and veteran actors Luis Guzmán and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Wednesday's parents, Morticia and Gomez.

Addams Family superfans will love that Christina Ricci, who originally played Wednesday in 1991's The Addams Family, is returning to the Addams Family universe. What character she will portray, however, has not yet been revealed, per Deadline.

Fans were thrilled to see it was directed by Tim Burton, who is renowned for his gothic fantasy and horror films, including 1988's Beetlejuice and 2007's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

One Twitter user stated: "Oh I think I'm gonna love this series [black heart emoji]."

Another, who couldn't contain their excitement, wrote: "Okay I wasn't really excited about this BUT the trailer is really really good. Now I can't wait to watch it."

Slated to drop later this year, the co-creators of the show, Millar and Gough, told Vanity Fair that it was important the series "didn't feel like a remake or a reboot," before adding that their ambition was to "make it an eight-hour Tim Burton movie."

"It's something that lives within the Venn diagram of what happened before, but it's its own thing," Millar stated.

"It's not trying to be the movies or the '60s TV show. That was very important to us and very important to Tim," he added.

According to Millar and Gough, Burton was their preferred choice of director for the highly anticipated series. In fact, they considered him the "Mount Everest of directors," and it allegedly only took Burton three days after receiving the script to call the duo, per the Hollywood Reporter.

"He was interested in where it was going, the mystery of the show [...] He really loved that you had time to be with Wednesday and explore the character and you didn’t have to, you know, wrap things up in an hour and 45 minutes," Gough excitedly revealed to Vanity Fair.

The show is described on Netflix as: "A sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy."

The description continued: "Wednesday’s attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town, and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore."

Well, say no more! The series is set for release by fall this year - mere months away!

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