Netflix’s Wednesday Is Finally The Spiritual Successor To Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice

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Most filmmakers take time to develop a unique style, but Tim Burton found his almost immediately with his second film. Released in 1988, Beetlejuice was Burton’s first original movie – his first film, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, was based on existing material – and it was a major hit. It earned nearly $75 million despite only costing $15 million to make.

Viewers immediately loved Beetlejuice because of its playfully dark look and funny, yet slightly creepy, humor. This unique combination of spooky and silly became so recognizable it’s now called “Burtonesque,” and Tim Burton has continued to develop this style in all his films.

Tim Burton is known for directing both his own unique stories and adaptations of existing properties, all with a distinctively quirky style. He was a natural choice to executive produce and direct a new Addams Family series for Netflix, and Wednesday has become a major success for the streaming service.

While most Addams Family adaptations focus on the whole family, Wednesday tells the story of Gomez and Morticia Addams’ teenage daughter and her experiences at Nevermore Academy. Each season, Wednesday (played brilliantly by Jenna Ortega with a straight face) gets caught up in a complicated and risky mystery that she’s uniquely suited to unravel. Although The Addams Family is often seen as the foundation for Wednesday‘s popularity, the Netflix series is actually heavily influenced by Beetlejuice.

Jenna Ortega’s Wednesday Addams Shares A Lot In Common With Beetlejuice’s Lydia Deetz

As much as everyone talks about Tim Burton, Beetlejuice really launched Winona Ryder’s career too. I mean, that role of Lydia Deetz – the moody, fascinating teenager moving into the haunted house with her dad and new stepmom – was a total breakout moment for her. It’s amazing to look back and see how that film helped make her a star!

Lydia Deetz, with her dark clothing, fascination with death, and dry, emotionless way of speaking, could easily have been a simple or even silly character. But Winona Ryder portrayed Lydia’s unusual personality as something she embraced, finding strength in being different. Ryder also gave the character a surprising amount of heart and depth, making her someone viewers could genuinely connect with. Instead of being a strange person to laugh at, Lydia became the relatable ‘goth-next-door,’ a character who became iconic in 1980s movies and still feels relevant today.

A great example of this is Wednesday Addams. Like Lydia, Jenna Ortega’s portrayal of Wednesday is characterized by a sarcastic, emotionless, and gloomy personality. This teenage character dislikes bright colors and sees being normal or following traditions as signs of weakness, happily embracing her solitary nature.

If Wednesday Addams was simply a gloomy and stoic character, the show wouldn’t have become so popular. Despite her efforts to appear cold and unfeeling, she actually has a kind heart. This is immediately apparent in the first scene, where she bravely rescues her brother, Pugsley, from a group of bullies who locked him in a locker.

At Nevermore Academy, Wednesday unexpectedly becomes friends with her cheerful roommate, Enid Sinclair, and often risks her own safety to keep Enid safe. While her standoffish attitude and desire to do things on her own create difficulties in her relationships, these qualities also serve as a disguise, hiding a softer side—a similarity she shares with Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice.

Tim Burton Gives Wednesday A Very Similar Visual Style & Tone To Beetlejuice

Fans of the original Beetlejuice movie will notice lots of fun references in Wednesday. The Netflix series is filled with nods to the classic film, most notably black-and-white stripes – a signature element of Betelgeuse’s suit. You can spot these stripes in several of Wednesday’s outfits, and even on the popcorn bags she and Tyler carry during their movie date in season one, episode seven.

One of Wednesday Addams’ most memorable outfits – the black, ruffled dress she wears to the Rave’N dance – clearly echoes Lydia Deetz’s famous red wedding dress. And that’s not the only connection.

Visual Similarities Between Wednesday & Beetlejuice
Wednesday Beetlejuice
Black-and-white stripes on Wednesday’s clothing and popcorn bags Betelgeuse’s black-and-white pinstripe suit
Wednesday’s black ruffled Rave’N dance dress Lydia’s ruffled red wedding dress
The gothic Nevermore Academy vs. the “normie” town of Jericho The Neitherworld vs. the Maitlands’ suburban farmhouse
The bug-eyed Hyde monster Betelgeuse’s bug-eyed snake form

Viewers are attracted to Wednesday because of its dark and visually striking style, but this is deliberately contrasted with the bright, ordinary setting of the town of Jericho. This approach echoes Beetlejuice, both in terms of visuals and humor. Like the mischievous “bio-exorcist” in that film, Wednesday finds humor in disrupting the normal, suburban world with its own brand of darkness.

The monstrous creatures featured in Wednesday closely resemble those from Beetlejuice. With their large eyes, big heads, and sharp teeth, they strongly echo the snake-like form Betelgeuse takes on at the end of the film. The show cleverly uses elements that make Beetlejuice so enjoyable, while still maintaining its own unique identity.

Wednesday Season 3 Will Become Even More Like Beetlejuice

Jenna Ortega connected her roles in Wednesday and Beetlejuice by playing Astrid Deetz, Lydia’s teenage daughter, in the new Beetlejuice Beetlejuice movie, which came out in 2024. Now, Winona Ryder is completing the connection by joining the cast of Wednesday season 3 as Tabitha.

Details about Winona Ryder’s character are still under wraps, but she’ll be working alongside other frequent collaborators of Tim Burton. Netflix has announced Chris Sarandon (known for The Nightmare Before Christmas) will play Balthazar, and Noah Taylor (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) will be Cyrus in season 3 of Wednesday. Eva Green, who has appeared in several of Burton’s films like Dark Shadows, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and Dumbo, will return as Ophelia, Morticia’s sister.

As a huge Tim Burton fan, I’m getting serious Beetlejuice vibes from the new season of Wednesday – it feels like they’re really leaning into that quirky, gothic energy with all these familiar faces. Plus, Jenna Ortega and Winona Ryder just click together, so I’m already counting down the days until season 3 and shouting, “It’s showtime!”

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2026-04-12 20:40