Costume Designers on Preserving Addams Family Legacy in Netflix's 'Wednesday'
Netflix's 'Wednesday' series, directed by Tim Burton, continues the Addams Family legacy with a focus on the daughter Wednesday at Nevermore Academy. Costume designers Colleen Atwood and Mark Sutherland discuss their approach to adapting the iconic characters. Atwood, a longtime Burton collaborator, drew inspiration from Charles Addams' original cartoons, blending retro elements with new flavors. Sutherland emphasized keeping Wednesday's original dress silhouette with the white collar. For the school uniform, they hand-printed stripes and created a detective-style coat. The gala scene featured over 250 costumes with a contemporary take on 18th-century looks. The series uses humor to defuse horror, a technique noted by NPR's Allyson McCabe as true to Addams' original cartoons. Writer Aisling Walsh for LitHub highlighted Wednesday's 'outcast' status as the series' driving force. The show explores themes of family, difference, and confronting life's darker aspects.
Key facts
- Netflix series 'Wednesday' directed by Tim Burton.
- Costumes designed by Colleen Atwood and Mark Sutherland.
- Atwood and Sutherland are longtime collaborators of Tim Burton.
- Atwood referenced Charles Addams' original cartoons for costume design.
- Wednesday's iconic white collar dress silhouette was preserved.
- School uniforms were hand-printed with stripes.
- Gala scene required over 250 costumes with 18th-century inspired looks.
- NPR's Allyson McCabe notes the series defuses fear with playfulness.
- Aisling Walsh for LitHub discusses Wednesday's 'outcast' status.
- The Addams Family originated from New Yorker cartoons by Charles Addams.
Entities
Artists
- Charles Addams
- Tim Burton
- Colleen Atwood
- Mark Sutherland
- Allyson McCabe
- Aisling Walsh
- Caroline Reilly
Institutions
- Netflix
- NPR
- LitHub
- Forbes
- New Yorker
Locations
- Nevermore Academy