The strange and unusual world of Nevermore Academy is getting even more interesting as production begins on Wednesday Season 3. Director Tim Burton is not just returning to helm episodes of the Netflix hit series—he is stepping into a brand new job role behind the scenes. At the same time, the show is bringing in his longtime friend and frequent collaborator, Winona Ryder, for a mysterious guest appearance that has fans already talking.
The announcement came on February 22, 2026, when Netflix revealed that filming for the third season has officially started in Ireland. Along with the production update, the streaming giant dropped a quirky video that introduced new cast members while confirming the return of familiar faces. But the biggest news that caught everyone’s attention was Ryder joining the series, marking yet another collaboration with Burton and lead star Jenna Ortega after their work together on last year’s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Tim Burton’s Expanded Role in Wednesday Season 3
While Burton has been attached to Wednesday as a director and executive producer since the very beginning, his involvement in the upcoming season goes beyond just calling the shots on set. Sources close to the production confirm that Burton has taken on additional creative responsibilities for Season 3, becoming more deeply involved in the day-to-day development of the show’s visual style and character designs.
The famed director, known for his distinctive gothic aesthetic seen in films like Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas, is now working more closely with the writers’ room and production design team. His expanded role means he is helping shape the overall look and feel of the new episodes from the ground up, not just directing specific scenes. This hands-on approach ensures that the creepy, quirky, and wonderfully weird atmosphere that fans love about Wednesday stays consistent throughout the season.
Burton’s deeper involvement comes at a crucial time for the series. With Season 3 promising to explore more Addams Family secrets and introduce new characters like Ophelia Frump and Ryder’s mysterious role, having Burton’s creative vision woven into every aspect of production makes sense. His signature style—mixing dark themes with playful humor—has been a big part of why Wednesday became such a massive hit for Netflix.
Winona Ryder Joins the Cast as Tabitha
The biggest casting news for Wednesday Season 3 is without a doubt Winona Ryder coming aboard. The two-time Oscar nominee will appear in a guest role as a character named Tabitha. Details about who Tabitha is and how she fits into the world of Nevermore Academy are being kept tightly under wraps, but her addition has already created a lot of buzz.
Ryder’s involvement means a full Beetlejuice Beetlejuice reunion is happening on the Wednesday set. She starred alongside Ortega in the 2024 sequel film, playing the on-screen mother of Ortega’s character. Now the two actors get to work together again, this time in the spooky halls of Nevermore. Burton, who directed both actors in the film, is clearly enjoying having them both on his latest project.
“I am so happy that Winona has joined us; she fits right into this world,” Burton said in a statement. “And she’s a dear friend. I always feel lucky to work with her.”
The feeling is mutual, and the show’s creators are just as excited. Al Gough and Miles Millar, who serve as showrunners and writers on Wednesday, also worked with Ryder on the Beetlejuice sequel script. They had nothing but praise for the actress.
“When it comes to Outcasts, Winona Ryder is the GOAT,” Gough and Millar stated. “Her legendary partnership with Tim Burton has defined some of cinema’s most unforgettable characters. We loved collaborating with her on Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome her to Nevermore.”
For Ryder, this role marks her first TV project after saying goodbye to Stranger Things, where she played Joyce Byers for five seasons. The Netflix series ended its run on New Year’s Eve 2025, and Ryder is now making a quick return to the streaming platform that became her TV home for nearly a decade.
Other New Faces Coming to Nevermore Academy
Ryder is not the only fresh face showing up at Nevermore. The Season 3 cast announcement video also revealed several other actors joining the show. Chris Sarandon, who famously voiced Jack Skellington in Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, will play a character named Balthazar. Noah Taylor, known for his roles in Peaky Blinders and Game of Thrones, is set to appear as Cyrus. Young actors Oscar Morgan and Kennedy Moyer round out the new additions, playing Atticus and Daisy respectively.
Earlier casting news had already confirmed that Eva Green would appear in Season 3 as Ophelia Frump, Morticia Addams’ sister. Green, who worked with Burton on Dark Shadows and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, will finally bring the mysterious aunt to life on screen. Fans got a small tease of Ophelia at the end of Season 2, where she was shown locked up and had written a chilling message on the wall: “Wednesday must die.”
The returning cast includes all the main players fans have come to love. Jenna Ortega is back as Wednesday Addams, Emma Myers returns as her werewolf roommate Enid, and Hunter Doohan is set to reprise his role as Tyler, the Hyde. The Addams Family members are all back too, with Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, Luis Guzmán as Gomez, Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley, Joanna Lumley as Grandmama, and Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester. Victor Dorobantu will once again play Thing, Wednesday’s disembodied hand sidekick.
What to Expect From Wednesday Season 3 Storylines
With production now underway, details about the plot for Season 3 are starting to come out. The new episodes will pick up after the dramatic ending of Season 2, which saw Enid struggling to turn back from her wolf form and Wednesday setting out to find her missing roommate.
Showrunners Gough and Millar have teased that the upcoming season will dig deeper into the Addams Family history. “This season, we welcome new students, new teachers, and excavate some long-rotting Addams Family secrets,” they said in a statement. “Don’t say you weren’t warned.”
One major storyline will focus on Ophelia Frump, whose complicated past with Morticia is finally going to be explored. The show has hinted that Ophelia possesses similar psychic abilities to Wednesday, making her another “psychic raven” in the family. Her unexpected return after being hidden away for 20 years is bound to cause trouble for the Addamses.
Nevermore Academy itself will need a new principal after Steve Buscemi’s character, Barry Dort, was exposed as a con man in Season 2. This opens up possibilities for new authority figures to cause problems for Wednesday and her classmates. With new teachers joining the staff, including potentially Ryder’s character Tabitha, the dynamic at the school is sure to change.
The show will also follow Tyler as he figures out how to live as a Hyde without a master controlling him, and Enid will have to deal with her new reality as an alpha werewolf. All these storylines promise to keep the supernatural drama going strong.
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Filming Location and Release Timeline
Wednesday Season 3 is currently filming near Dublin, Ireland. The choice of location fits perfectly with the show’s gothic atmosphere, and Ireland’s landscapes provide a beautiful backdrop for the creepy stories unfolding at Nevermore.
As for when fans can expect to watch the new episodes, Netflix has not announced an official release date yet. However, Gough and Millar have mentioned that they are aiming for a 2027 premiere. Given that production is just starting now, a 2027 release makes sense for a show that requires a lot of visual effects and post-production work.
Both previous seasons of Wednesday have been massive successes for Netflix. The first season remains the most-watched English-language season of TV in the streamer’s history. Season 2, which was released in two parts in August and September 2025, currently ranks as the fifth most-watched English-language season ever on the platform. With such strong viewership numbers, it is no surprise that Netflix is investing heavily in the third season.
The combination of Burton’s expanded creative role, Ryder’s exciting casting, and the promise of uncovering more Addams Family secrets makes Wednesday Season 3 one of the most anticipated streaming releases in the coming years. For now, fans can rewatch Seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix and start guessing who Ryder’s character Tabitha might be and how she fits into the strange world of Nevermore Academy.
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