When Winona Ryder walks onto the set of Wednesday this season, it won't just mark a new chapter for the hit Netflix series — it will feel like the closing of a gothic circle. The actress who helped define Tim Burton's signature brand of melancholy charm in the late '80s and '90s is reuniting with the filmmaker, this time stepping into the mysterious world of Nevermore Academy alongside a new generation led by Jenna Ortega.
With the hit Netflix series Stranger Things having come to a close, that left Winona free to join the ensemble as Dr. Morgana Thornhill, a former Nevermore student turned folklore historian who returns to the enigmatic school to investigate ancient legends — and perhaps, rewrite them. Described by insiders as "equal parts mentor and menace," Dr. Thornhill's presence unsettles both faculty and students, drawing Wednesday Addams deeper into a web of secrets that reflect her own growing obsession with the school's dark history.
For Winona, the role feels like a homecoming. Since first appearing as Lydia Deetz in Burton's 1998 film Beetlejuice, she's carried the torch for the eccentric outsider, playing characters who balance fragility and intensity with equal measure. "Tim and I have always understood the beauty in the peculiar," Winona said in a statement. "Wednesday captures that spirit — it's funny, dark, and full of heart."
Showrunner Alfred Gough teased that Winona's character plays a pivotal role in the season's central mystery. "There's something about Winona's energy that feels timeless — she can ground the supernatural in something deeply human. That's exactly what this story needed."
Director Tim Burton hinted that Winona's role carries emotional weight beyond the series' usual mystery. "She brings a warmth to the weird," he said. "This character has history — and Winona knows how to make history feel alive."
Filming is now underway in Ireland, with returning cast members Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán, and Emma Myers joining Jenna and Winona (who coincidentally, co-starred in the 2024 movie Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as mother and daughter, as seen in the photo above). Early set photos hint at misty landscapes, grand gothic halls, and a few Beetlejuice-era Easter eggs fans will recognize instantly.
As Burton and Winona reunite under the eerie glow of Nevermore Academy's gargoyles, it's clear this collaboration isn't just a casting coup — it's a celebration of the strange, the clever, and the beautifully haunted world they've built together. ~Alexandra Heilbron
If she can't steal scenes she'll steal costumes and props