It was nearly four years ago, on Halloween 2013, that the animated Addams Family movie was first announced... but we really haven't heard much about it since. That pattern has officially come to an end, however, as it's now being reported that Conrad Vernon has come aboard as the movie's director.
The Hollywood Reporter got the scoop on this development, noting that the project is currently in the works over at MGM. Conrad Vernon is best known as the filmmaker behind the insanely raunchy 2016 feature Sausage Party, though his credits also include Shrek 2, Monsters vs Aliens, and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. The screenplay has been written by Corpse Bride and Monster House co-scribe Pamela Pettler, though revisions have been made to her work by Matt Lieberman (the writer of the upcoming Short Circuit reboot and the animated Scooby).
Based on the original cartoons, which were initially published in the New Yorker, The Addams Family is a satirical spin on general wholesomeness - telling the story of an ordinary family with a macabre twist. Gomez and Morticia are the parents of the young Wednesday and Pugley, but they also live in their decrepit mansion with their Uncle Feser, Granny, Thing (who is just a hand), and their butler, Lurch.
Director Barry Sonnenfeld famously brought The Addams Family to life twice in the 1990s, with the key roles being played by Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, Christina Ricci, Jimmy Workman, Christopher Lloyd, Judith Malina, Christopher Hart, and Carel Struycken. While the first film, released in 1991, was a huge success - making $191 million worldwide - the same could not be said of the sequel. When it came out in 1993, Addams Family Values wound up making less than half of what it's predecessor pulled in domestically.
Since then, there have been other attempts to bring the property to life. Back in 2010 Tim Burton tried to bring his own vision of the property to life, specifically as a stop-motion animated feature, though that project seems to be dead while this new movie lives on.
According to the trade report, the animation work on the movie has already begun at Cinesite Studios in Vancouver - though it's unclear when we might actually get to see the finished product. Animated features always take a much longer time to move through development than live-action projects, so it may be years until we actually get to see the finished product. All the same, it should be an interesting time, as it will be fun to watch and see who the filmmakers and studio wind up choosing as the voices of the iconic characters.
Personally, I'd love to see them take Christina Ricci on as the voice of Morticia, but what actors would you like to see join the ensemble? Hit the comments section below with your thoughts!
