Jenna Ortega will soon return as Wednesday Addams in the upcoming second season of Netflix's hit show Wednesday. The official teaser trailer has been released, with the release date(s) for season 2. Netflix is splitting the next eight episodes into two parts, the first of which arrives in August and the second in September.
Since we still have several months before Wednesday season 2 premieres, now is an optimal time to watch a few movies that might serve as inspiration or get you into the Wednesday spirit.
Carrie (1976)
- Streaming: Max
Carrie is considered a classic supernatural horror film and one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever. Released in 1976, Carrie features an incredible cast of actors, most notably Sissy Spacek as Carrie White and Piper Laurie as her abusive and fanatical mother, Margaret.
Carrie was already referenced in the first season of Wednesday during the Nevermore dance, but it is always worth doing a rewatch. Ortega discussed how this movie and one other were big parts of the first season. The film follows an outcast teen who eventually uses her telekinetic powers to get revenge against her bullies on a memorable prom night.
Prom Night (1980)
- Streaming: Prime Video, Hulu, Peacock, and Shudder
In addition to Carrie, Ortega referenced Prom Night as inspiration for the episode involving the Nevermore dance in season 1. I could see another nod to this 1980 slasher in season 2, as Ortega has said the sophomore season has a lot more horror references, and at least one episode is entirely based on the slasher genre.
After starring in Halloween, Jamie Lee Curtis would go on to star in this movie about a group of high schoolers targeted by a killer on the biggest night of the year. The murderer in question is out for revenge after a girl died six years before the movie starts. There have been three Prom Night sequels and a reboot released in 2008.
The School for Good and Evil (2022)
- Streaming: Netflix
The School for Good and Evil is an adventurous and fantastical YA movie based on the novel by Soman Chainani. It's not "scary" in the traditional sense, but the dark fantasy aspect of the Paul Feig-directed movie will likely appeal to Wednesday fans.
This movie is a great way to gear up for another year at Nevermore Academy, and it's also on Netflix, making it an easy pick. The film revolves around best friends Sophia and Sofia, who are sent to this magical school that separates them in ways they couldn't have anticipated and puts their friendship to the ultimate test.
The Craft (1996)
- Streaming: MGM+
A group of teenagers form their own coven in this supernatural horror movie from the late 1990s. A girl with strange abilities moves to a new town and slowly befriends some of the other girls in school.
Together, they realize they can use witchcraft as a way to get what they want and seek revenge against anyone who wrongs them. The Craft is considered a cult classic and should appeal to anyone who likes the teen angst mixed with supernatural hijinks in Wednesday.
Beetlejuice (1988)
- Streaming: AMC+
Beetlejuice is a beloved 1988 film from director Tim Burton, who also directs and executive produces Wednesday. Ortega worked with Burton on the recent Beetlejuice sequel that saw the return of the main cast members of the previous film. It's wonderfully weird and a little eccentric, definitely a movie worth watching if you're trying to fill the time until Wednesday returns. A third movie is in development.
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
- Streaming: Netflix
Since I Know What You Did Last Summer returns this July with its legacy sequel and Wednesday is doing an entire episode dedicated to slashers, the original 1997 movie will likely get a little shoutout in season 2.
The movie is based on Lois Duncan's 1973 novel and follows a group of teenage friends who get into a car accident, resulting in a man's death. They vow never to speak of the incident, but one year later, someone starts stalking them, seemingly intent on revenge for what they did a year earlier.
Wednesday season 2 part 1 premieres on August 6 and part 2 drops on September 3.