When Wednesday first hit Netflix in 2022, it felt like a masterstroke in spooky world-building. With Tim Burton steering the project, production designer Mark Scruton at his side, and a script rich in Edgar Allan Poe nods, the series struck a perfect balance of eerie, nostalgic, and new. The audience response was overwhelming and it set a high bar.
Now midway through Season 2 (with Part 2 officially streaming today), Burton and Scruton have set out to raise the stakes. Rather than repeat the “lightning in a bottle” formula, they’ve created an entirely new storm, expanding the world of Wednesday while staying true to its gothic heart.
A Darker, Bigger World
This season follows Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) now both star and producer—as she navigates new mysteries at Nevermore Academy. The production itself underwent a transformation: moving from Romania to Ireland, with the iconic Nevermore Academy and surrounding landscapes rebuilt and reimagined. Historic sites like Charlieville Castle became a backbone for the sets, providing authentic gothic architecture layered with Burton’s signature quirky touches—think exaggerated gargoyles and surreal set pieces.
Opera-Inspired Grandeur
When natural locations couldn’t meet the script’s demands, Scruton turned to opera for inspiration, borrowing design cues from Wagner’s Ring Cycle. The result? Grand, statement-making sets achieved with theatrical efficiency like the Venetian-inspired gala that closes Part 2, complete with its own canal and bridge, built in just two weeks.
Nostalgic Easter Eggs
In true Burton fashion, the show weaves tongue-in-cheek design twists into its storytelling. A standout is the Gardener’s Cottage subplot: Morticia Addams reclaims the pink, pastel-soaked home (a nod to the original 1960s Addams Family set, which was surprisingly painted in bright colors despite airing in black and white) and transforms it into a shadowy Addams lair. Fans will spot familiar elements the fan chair, stuffed bear, Venus flytraps, and even carved turtles that connect the series to its roots.
Flea Markets, Oddities, and “Mad Science”
Scruton and set decorator David Morrison Speaker filled the interiors with finds from Irish antique shops and Parisian flea markets. The guiding principle? The odder, the better. And this season, an underlying design theme leans into “mad scientist” energy. From mechanical hearts to strange lab equipment, subtle steampunk details are scattered across Nevermore’s biology lab, the Willow Hill psychiatric unit, and Scruton’s personal favorite
the towering Iago Clock Tower.
Reinventing the Macabre: The Design Evolution of Wednesday Season
What’s Next?
With Burton, Ortega, and Scruton pushing boundaries together, Wednesday Season 2 proves that a beloved gothic classic can evolve while staying true to its DNA. Fans can dive into Part 2 now, and rest easy (or not) Netflix has already renewed the series for Season 3.
