[Exclusive·Limelight] "Wednesday's Candidness, Needed for Teenagers"

'Wednesday' Showrunners Alfred Gough & Miles Miller
Visit Korea for KOCCA's 'Broadcasting Content WorldWide (BCWW)'
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"Distinctly American Flavor, Universal Appeal Connecting with Global Audience"

The Netflix series 'Wednesday' is intense from the start. Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) discovers her younger brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez) being bullied at the same school and takes revenge. "Name them!" "I don't know who it was. Really. It happened in an instant." "Pugsley, emotions are weaknesses. Stop it, right now!" With a cold expression, she seeks out the perpetrators?a group of boys playing water polo in the indoor pool. Without hesitation, she releases a school of piranhas into the water. As the clear water turns blood-red, she quietly smiles. "Only I can bully my brother."

The roots of this cold character trace back to the American cartoonist Charles Addams, who introduced 'The Addams Family' in the 1930s. It twisted the typical American family image into a gothic culture layered with horror and darkness, gaining much popularity. The members are all kind and sincere, but due to the eerie and grotesque atmosphere, they are often misunderstood or caught up in various incidents. This discord symbolizes the irregularity of life and the anxiety and threats that arise from it. Even after about 90 years, it remains relevant, having been adapted into dramas (1964, 1998), movies (1991, 1993, 1998), and animations (1973, 1992, 2019).

'Wednesday' takes a slightly different approach. It focuses on the teenage life of the eldest daughter, Wednesday, and creates a new story. It preserves features from the original work, such as the twin braids and fierce eyes, while portraying her process of understanding an absurd world in her own way. For example, her sealed tears are set as a conscious choice. When her pet scorpion Nero, whom she raised at age six, was brutally killed by other kids' bullying, she made a vow. "It snowed when I buried Nero's remains. My black heart cried out loud. But crying was useless. So I decided never to cry again."

Her sharp personality does not resolve into acceptance and harmony like in other works. Wednesday rejects others' definitions and confronts the hatred, discrimination, and threats inherent in society. She shows new possibilities from a pessimistic perspective, gradually narrowing the gap with society.

The creators who presented individual subjectivity and freedom as the driving force of teenage growth are Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. They are a showrunner duo (responsible for scriptwriting, budgeting, hiring, and overseeing the entire drama production) already recognized for their IP expansion ability with 'Smallville.' 'Smallville' is a sci-fi series re-examining Superman Clark Kent's youth, produced for ten seasons from 2001 to 2011 due to its popularity. Its driving force was the balanced harmony between familiar roles and new era values, injecting contemporary values into past legacies to evoke empathy.

'Wednesday' is no different. It blends Wednesday's unique free-spirited thoughts and speech with progressive and reformist elements, ranking first in Netflix TV for six consecutive weeks (November 21, 2022?January 1, 2023). On the 16th, at the 'International Broadcasting & Video Market (BCWW) 2023' hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea Creative Content Agency, we met the two showrunners exclusively. They repeatedly emphasized one more thing was necessary. "Drama is entertainment. Above all, it must be able to entertain viewers."

Below is a Q&A with Alfred Gough and Miles Millar

-The backbone of 'Wednesday' is related to the cartoon and related works (dramas, movies, musicals) from about 90 years ago. What attracted you to create this spin-off (a new work derived from the original)?

Gough: "The Addams Family is a group that constantly complements each other's shortcomings and insecurities. The core, love, is blind and absolute. I thought, 'How great would it be if our family formed such a relationship?' I think everyone feels that way. Love is a feeling that transcends time and space. I wanted to highlight that."

Millar: "Typically, families harbor invisible distrust and dissatisfaction. The Addams Family completely breaks out of that mold. They solve all problems through harmonious bonds. Wednesday is the same. She is inherently difficult but internally more tender and warm than anyone else."

-The name, taken from the English nursery rhyme 'Mother Goose' ("Wednesday's child is full of woe"), is an unusual character from the start. Why was Wednesday set as sixteen years old instead of nine as in 'The Addams Family'?

Millar: "We wanted to address various issues teenagers face. So we thoroughly excluded the cuteness of the original work. We emphasized the charm of being unlikable yet not hateful even when rude and unruly. This is the part 'The Addams Family' viewers find most attractive. There was some risk in the planning stage, and some suggested weakening this aspect, but we pushed strongly. We believed that if authenticity was shown in relationships with family or friends, it would be resolved."

-Most creators attempting IP expansion find it difficult to find common ground between original fans and new viewers.

Gough: "We had a clear plan for what kind of work we wanted to make. Especially the character development direction was clear. We thought we just needed to rewrite the story with proper adjustments. I think the consideration of how to unfold it was the way to find common ground. The production team, including director Tim Burton, collaborated closely on almost every aspect. We first outlined the overall shape and then pieced the puzzle together."

Millar: "We were also lucky. Nowadays, American teenagers tend to hesitate to express their thoughts honestly due to social constraints and fears. Wednesday is the exact opposite. She openly expresses pessimistic thoughts. I think that led to greater empathy. 'Smallville' also unintentionally responded to social demands. It aired about a month after the 9/11 attacks. It might sound strange, but you could sense an atmosphere that the American society wanted a hero to appear."

-It seems important that the story of a unique character was told with universal emotions.

Gough: "Since 'Smallville,' we put a lot of effort into highlighting the human aspects of characters. It started with the question, 'How did Superman spend his teenage years?' We wanted to develop the story as he experiences various things, recognizes his abilities, and develops them for good. 'Wednesday' had a similar process. She is a picky teenager but internally very different. Like other peers, she wants to get along well with parents, friends, and teachers. Only the way she perceives and accepts things is a bit different. We wanted to concretize that."

Millar: "It was possible because we could write a new story breaking away from the original framework. Of course, that meant more things to pay attention to. Although the script is eight episodes, it took about two years to write, longer than expected."

-Adding realism must have been difficult.

Millar: "Yes. I wrote while thinking about what kind of story Charles Addams would have been attracted to if he were alive. I thought he wouldn't be trapped by stereotypes. People today also want the world he wished for. So we focused more on raising tension and adding interest. We wanted to make a drama that anyone, regardless of age or gender, could enjoy."

-The tone is distinctly American but it gained worldwide love.

Gough: "Successful Korean movies and dramas are also distinctly Korean. I think that is their universal appeal. Honestly, I didn't expect 'Wednesday' to become this popular. Analyzing the cause, I think the character's power played a big role. Wednesday's honest charm amplified the emotional impact and pleasure of the universal story. The emotional resonance beneath it has nothing to do with nationality. Just as Americans felt issues like income inequality in 'Parasite' and 'Squid Game' as their own."

-The broad empathy and lines that actual teenagers or pessimists might say also played a big part.

Gough: "I wrote the script thinking about what expressions and tones Wednesday would use to deliver her lines. It had to provoke laughter but never look ridiculous. She is a teenager who insists 'yes' alone on incidents others say 'no' to. She is like a detective, supporting opposing logic with her words. So the lines had to be realistic. I borrowed a lot from my daughter’s words. For example, the line 'I didn’t originally hate birthdays. It means getting one year closer to death’s cold embrace, so there’s no reason to hate it,' was something my daughter actually said."

Millar: "I also have a daughter. Talking with Gough about them helped concretize 'Wednesday.' Until then, we hadn’t set Wednesday as a teenager. The more we talked, the more I wanted to make her a character you can’t help but love, like my daughter. Jenna Ortega, the lead, delivered the lines wonderfully. I had a good feeling from the audition. We met over 200 actors during about four months, and she stood out clearly."

-Director Tim Burton’s style also fits well with the story. The production design, costumes, and props reminded one of 'Edward Scissorhands' and 'Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.' Did you write the story with a director in mind from the start?

Millar: "No. After finishing the script, we thought about who would be good to direct and thought of Burton. He said the story was similar to his own high school life. It felt like fate."

Gough: "Before pitching, Burton made photos and videos that could help understand the 'Wednesday' world. The feelings of 'Edward Scissorhands' and 'Beetlejuice' in those materials are reflected in the final product. Working together, I felt like I regained my cynical sense of humor. 'Beetlejuice 2' will also be a great work."

-I heard Netflix was the only one interested during pitching. What do you think was the secret to breaking the lukewarm expectations?

Millar: "Because there were two of us, even though it was hard, we could trust and rely on each other. We had strong convictions and confidence in delivering results. Listening to others is important, but if you are confident in the script, you must never waver."

-Where does this strong conviction come from?

Gough: "Wednesday’s growth is unique. Most protagonists in coming-of-age dramas are timid and then muster courage to solve problems. Wednesday is different. She sees the world in black and white from the start. Through various experiences, she learns there is gray in between."

Millar: "We were confident in focusing on entertainment. Viewers want enjoyment more than lessons or wisdom from dramas. Satisfaction is expressed when it is felt evenly in every episode. Reading the script again, I was sure there was no dull moment. It was like a perfect feast. I believed the time had come to share it with all viewers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.