Penny Dreadful Star Billie Piper Joins Netflix’s Wednesday Cast

Netflix has given fans their first look at Billie Piper as the latest addition to Wednesday, the upcoming second season of Jenna Ortega’s popular gothic comedy series. The 42-year-old will be joining Ortega’s cast as Isadora Capri, the new head of music at Nevermore Academy.

Piper is best known for her role as Brona Croft/The Bride of Frankenstein in Penny Dreadful, but she has an extensive history of playing gothic characters and characters in the supernatural. The character of Isadora Capri is described as a “once child prodigy” who takes a particular interest in Wednesday Addams’ musical abilities. Capri is also a mentor for werewolf student Enid Sinclair, who is played by Emma Myers.

Netflix shared the first official images of Piper in costume alongside breaking news about Wednesday’s future. The series first launched on the platform in November 2022 and quickly became a global sensation. The series had 252 million viewers worldwide, making Wednesday Netflix’s biggest English-language series ever. Renewed for a second season in January 2023, new episodes of the show are now confirmed to premiere in August this year.

Wednesday is a darker take on the Addams Family universe and follows the character Wednesday Addams, played by 22-year-old Jenna Ortega. She attends Nevermore Academy, a school for supernatural outcasts, and deals with the usual problems of school, while also embracing her horror roots. The series blended aspects of horror, comedy, and teen rebellion to critical and commercial success. The series earned Emmy nominations and also scored itself a devoted cult following.

Wednesday Season 3 Has Also Been Renewed, and a Spin-Off Series Is in the Works

Billie Piper isn’t the only addition to Wednesday that Netflix has announced. The streaming service also confirmed that the hit show has been renewed for a third season. A spin-off is also reportedly in the works, according to The Hollywood Reporter. While it’s not much to go on, co-creator Alfred Gough told reporters: “It’s something we’re noodling; there are other characters we can look at.”

Fans on social media had a field day with the announcements. Catherine Zeta-Jones, who plays the mother character Morticia Addams on the show, also confirmed the news in a subtle Instagram post of her own: “When Wednesday comes, a better day. Wednesday season three. It’s official… we shall return.” Fans then flooded the comments section with messages of their own, with one fan writing: “And for many more seasons.” “I can’t wait to see the second season, I’m waiting for it with great curiosity… and the third is already official, fantastic news!”

Other fans noted how the new season could get started soon, in the hope that it will not take two years again between each season. Despite being renewed in January 2023, the second season will take more than two years after the show’s debut, which left some fans begging for a shorter turnaround time between seasons. “I’ll be gripping the sheets in agony waiting, but please… don’t let us wait three years again,” one viewer wrote.

Tim Burton, 66, will be returning as the show’s executive producer and making occasional directorial appearances. The filmmaker also recently directed actress Ortega in Beetlejuice, the upcoming sequel to the 1988 cult comedy.

More well-known faces are also joining the cast. As well as Billie Piper, Wednesday will feature Lady Gaga, Steve Buscemi, Joanna Lumley, and Thandie Newton. Returning to the series are Gwendoline Christie as headteacher Larissa Weems and Luis Guzmán as the title character’s father, Gomez Addams.

Jenna Ortega has also gotten a new position on the series. Following some controversy about a podcast interview in which the actress claimed that she often “changed lines” and had to “put her foot down” over inconsistencies in her character, Ortega has stepped up behind the camera. The actress has become a producer on the series. Director Tim Burton later came out in public defense of the star, saying that her interview comments had been taken out of context. Co-creator Alfred Gough also told reporters that it only made sense for Ortega to be a producer, as she was already involved in many aspects of the show and regularly gave notes on scripts.

Joanna Lumley is one of the new faces joining Wednesday and was excited to join the project. “There’s always something thrilling about working for Tim Burton,” Lumley told reporters. “His whole mind takes him to a different world, and the world that they’ve created here for Wednesday and Nevermore and the family is just intoxicating.”

Billie Piper isn’t the only thing fans are excited about: Wednesday has been renewed for a third season, and a spin-off series is in the works. The new season will star the likes of Lady Gaga and Steve Buscemi, with Jenna Ortega taking on a producer role. Season 2 is confirmed to release in August.