Tim Burton is one of Hollywood's most unique voices still in the business, having crafted a very specific aesthetic that is both highly sought after and entirely his own. Now he's planning to tackle some new material that seems right up his alley: a live-action TV reboot of The Addams Family that Burton hopes to produce and possibly even direct. It would mark the director's first ever major foray into live-action television, and it's a project that has a lot of potential.
According to sources at Deadline, MGM TV is financing the development of the series, and the package currently has several interested bidders. These sources also suggest that Netflix is currently the top bidder, and is in a good position to secure the project. Details are scarce and unconfirmed, but it's been rumored that the show will feature the family navigating life in the modern day, and will primarily take place from the perspective of Wednesday Addams, the family's daughter.
The Addams family has gone through a wide range of changes and interpretations since they first appeared as a New Yorker cartoon strip in 1938. It wasn't until The Addams Family TV show though that the unusual family wormed their way into the hearts of viewers everywhere. Plot wise, most versions are similar: the Addams family is a weird, spooky group of weirdos who don't fit in with typical society, but have a loving and happy relationship with each other. Because of personality conflicts and their bizarre acquaintances and possessions, they often clash with the normal world around them. As a clever satire of American suburbia, The Addams Family show fully cemented its legacy with two fondly remembered movies, and various entities have attempted to capitalize on the brand ever since, without huge success.
That said, Tim Burton is no strange to dark, satirical content, and The Addams Family aesthetic is already closely aligned to his own. There is a good chance that Burton is on to something interesting with this pitch, and it would explain his sudden interest in moving into television for the first time. While any potential live-action show has big shoes to fill, perhaps the Addams family could make a serious comeback to a world that could always use more lovable weirdos.
Source: Deadline