As everyone waits for Wednesday season 2 to be released, or for Netflix to even say when Wednesday season 2 will be released, we are starting to get some new updates on how things are going.
Now, new casting information is trickling out. Previously, we learned that Steve Buscemi would be playing the new headmaster of Nevermore. Now, we’re learning that Westworld’s Thandiwe Newton is joining the cast as well for season 2.
This news comes from Variety, but unlike the casting of Steve Buscemi, there is no information about who Newton would be playing. I am wondering if perhaps…a villain? I think she could pull that off well. Almost every character in the Wednesday universe has some sort of magic powers, so her having those in some form or another is a safe bet as well.
Netflix is itching for Wednesday to return, as it is technically the most watched Netflix series of all time, and by a significant margin: 252 million views compared to 140 million views for Stranger Things season 4. Though Stranger Things season 4 has more total hours viewed, 1.8 billion to 1.7 billion. It was a huge priority for Netflix to get Wednesday season 2 production started after the writers and actors strike ended, and that appears to be exactly what’s happening, albeit with no dates given yet for its return.
Wednesday is an especially important series for Netflix because Stranger Things is about to end, while Wednesday could easily run for 4-5 more seasons as a monster hit. Plus it’s relatively cheap compared to Stranger Things, just some kids in a school with the occasional CGI power, for the most part, a far from from $30 million episodes of Stranger Things. Outside of this current gap in time, it also at least has the potential to not have sprawling waits between seasons in the future, so long as they can wrangle Jenna Ortega away from her myriad movie roles.
I can almost guarantee that one change from season 1 of Wednesday is that season 2 will be split into two parts. Netflix now does this with essentially all its returning hits from Strange Things to You, a way to extend watch time and subscriptions without technically breaking its binge-release promise. But I think everyone thinks this practice is sort of annoying at this point. Honestly I’d rather have week to week than four episodes, a 2-3 month break, then four more. But that’s probably what’s coming.
I look forward to see who Thandiwe Newton will be playing, and like Buscemi, she’s certain to be a great addition to the cast.
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