Since first debuting as a cartoon in The New Yorker all the way back in 1938, The Addams Family have captured the hearts and imaginations of people the world over in the decades to follow. Of course, the live action TV series from the ’60s and, to an extent, the animated followup from Hanna-Barbera in the ’70s can largely be credited for kickstarting their mainstream popularity, but each interpretation has its place in history.
Since then, more recent generations hopped on the bandwagon thanks to two major motion pictures released in the early ’90s, which spawned a damn good video game during the 16-bit era, believe it or not. There was a threequel of sorts a few years later, too, that arrived in the form of the direct-to-video Addams Family Reunion, but it’s almost as if the Powers That Be want people to forget about it because that installment doesn’t get much play.
This time, the macabre humor is being kept alive via a new animated feature being brought to us by MGM, which got the ball rolling a while back when Oscar Isaac was enlisted to play Gomez. Naturally, though, fans have wondered who’d be rounding out the rest of the clan because, after all, this is an ensemble piece.
As it so happens, the all-star cast will consist of Charlize Theron (Morticia), Allison Janney (arch nemesis Margaux Needler), Bette Midler (Grandmama), Chloë Grace Moretz (Wednesday), Finn Wolfhard (Pugsley) and Nick Kroll (Uncle Fester). Not too shabby, eh?
Here’s what co-director Conrad Vernon (Sausage Party) had to say about this ambitious undertaking:
“Greg and I have always been a fan of the Addams Family in past versions, so when we set out to make this movie, we were excited to do something new. With that in mind, I drew from the brilliantly original Charles Addams New Yorker cartoons for the look of the film and decided to tell the story of how Gomez and Morticia meet, find their house and start their family. This unique approach is what drew me in to direct the film. The reimagining also extends to the stellar cast we’ve put together who will each bring their own spin to our film that will appeal to longtime fans of the Addams and introduce them to a new generation.”
The Addams Family arrives in theaters on October 11, 2019 and joining Vernon on directorial duties will be Greg Tiernan, as they adapt a screenplay penned by Matt Lieberman.