Composer Danny Elfman has shared his surprise at Wednesday’s success. The hit Netflix series is the latest version of the beloved Addams family and sees daughter Wednesday, played by rising star Jenna Ortega, enrol at Nevermore Academy, where she becomes involved in a supernatural mystery. Wednesday was directed by Tim Burton, with Alfred Gough and Miles Millar as producers. Elfman and Burton previously worked together on Batman and Edward Scissorhands.
Wednesday premiered Wednesday, November 23rd and achieved 1 billion viewing hours within its first month, becoming the second-most streamed English-speaking show on the site. The series has also achieved a dedicated following online, with social media sites celebrating the titular character’s style, attitude and music taste.
During an interview with NME, the composer was asked if he was surprised by such a warm response to Burton’s show, replying: “Yeah, completely. But you’ve gotta realise I’m surprised by anything I do having any success”.
“When Batman came out, I was composing to a cut that was so that was so dark on the video I could barely even tell what was happening half the time,” Elfman added. “I thought, ‘This is going to be a little cult film at best.’ So the fact that it was a big hit, that shocked and surprised me. I’m surprised every time I have anything happen that’s successful.”
The composer added: “I thought Wednesday would be, like Batman, I thought it would be a little cult thing.” When asked about Wednesday’s soundtrack, composed of gothic-based music and his work with Chris Bacon, Elfman shared: “Wednesday was just fun. I grew up on The Addams Family, but I also really dug the Charles Addams cartoons even more so. So to do a variation on this, it was just fun.”
Wednesday fans hope a second season will follow the show’s cliffhanger ending. The show has been added to a lineup of Netflix shows influencing teenagers’ music tastes and styles, as seen in Stranger Things season four. Its impact has even reached some of the entertainment industry’s biggest icons, such as pop star Lady Gaga who attempted to recreate Wednesday’s iconic prom dance after online fans edited her song ‘Bloody Mary’ to fit over the eccentric dance moves.
Wednesday is now available to stream on Netflix.
