Winona Ryder is officially heading to Nevermore Academy.
Netflix announced on Monday, Feb. 23, that the Golden Globe winner, 54, has joined the cast of Wednesday season 3. The streamer also confirmed that production has officially started near Dublin, Ireland, and revealed Ryder will play a character named Tabitha.
Alongside Ryder, Netflix said several other new cast members are joining the supernatural hit: Chris Sarandon (Balthazar), Noah Taylor (Cyrus), Oscar Morgan (Atticus), and Kennedy Moyer (Daisy). The season will also feature Eva Green, who had been previously announced and will play Morticia Addams’ sister, Ophelia, according to Netflix.
Ryder’s casting also sets up multiple reunions behind the scenes. She recently appeared with series star Jenna Ortega in 2024’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and her season 3 role reunites her with longtime collaborator Tim Burton, who serves as executive producer and director on the series.
Burton addressed the announcement in a statement shared via Netflix’s Tudum, saying: “I’m so excited to be back for Season 3 and it’s great to be reunited with all of the original cast. The addition of some dear friends and past collaborators of mine — Winona, Eva, Chris, Noah…makes this season extra special. I feel very lucky.”
Creators and showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar also teased what’s ahead, calling the new season their “dark delight to fling open Nevermore Academy’s gates once more.”
“We thank our invincible cast and crew for their continued commitment to doom and gloom,” they added. “To the fans, we appreciate your patience and ravenous online commentary — your twisted theories have inspired nightmares. This season, we welcome new students, new teachers, and excavate some long-rotting Addams Family secrets. Don’t say you weren’t warned.”
Ryder and Burton have worked together multiple times over the years, including the Beetlejuice films, 1990’s Edward Scissorhands and 2012’s Frankenweenie. Burton has also collaborated with Eva Green on 2012’s Dark Shadows and previously involved Sarandon in 1993’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Gough and Millar previously commented on Green’s casting, saying she has “always brought an exhilarating, singular presence to the screen — elegant, haunting, and beautifully unpredictable.”
“Those qualities make her the perfect choice for Aunt Ophelia. We’re excited to see how she transforms the role and expands Wednesday’s world,” they said.
Ortega also spoke about Ryder in a 2024 conversation on The New York Times’ The Interview podcast, describing her as “warm and welcoming and kind and inviting” and adding: “The way Winona and I got along was quite weird. It was like we were reading each other’s minds a little bit,” she said.
Netflix has not announced a release date for Wednesday season 3 yet. Millar previously joked he’d “have to bury you in a shallow grave” if he shared details. Seasons 1 and 2 are currently available to stream on Netflix.
Source: People