Addams Family

‘The Addams Family’ are being reinvented to frighten and fascinate a new generation, in a new computer-animated movie.  The new film features an all-star cast, with Oscar Isaac as patriarch Gomez, and Charlize Theron as his beloved Morticia.  Nick Kroll will voice Uncle Fester, with the legendary Bette Midler as Grandmama.  Wednesday will be portrayed by Chloë Grace Moretz, with Finn Wolfhard as Pugsley.  They will be joined by Academy Award-winner Allison Janney as their nosey neighbor Margaux Needler, while Elsie Fisher, who gained attention last year for her breakout performance in ‘Eighth Grade’, will voice her daughter Parker Needler.  Aimee Garcia and Scott Underwood are also part of the cast.

Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon (‘Sausage Party’) are directing this new take on ‘The Addams Family’.

Fans can expect the first trailer to arrive on April 10, but until then, a new poster has been released (via IMDB), touting its Halloween opening.

‘The Addams Family’ is best known for starring in the classic black and white sitcom that aired on ABC from 1964-66 and in syndication ever since.  A newer generation was introduced to the bizarre brood courtesy of two hit theatrical films in 1991 and 1993.  A third was released direct-to-video in 1998.  ‘The Addams Family’ has also starred in two animated series, first in 1973-75, then in 1992-93.  The Fox Family Channel aired a live-action reboot, ‘The New Addams Family’ in 1998-99, which was actually comprised of 65 episodes, one more than the original ABC series.

While most people think of the original TV series or the theatrical films when thinking about ‘The Addams Family’, Tiernan and Vernon are basing their take on the source material, the New Yorker comics by Charles Addams, who reportedly based it on his own eccentric family.

In a statement, Vernon wrote:

“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’ fittingly opens on October 18, just in time for Halloween.