Penny Dreadful star Eva Green has officially been roped in to play Ophelia in the third season of the hit Netflix series Wednesday starring Jenna Ortega. After months of speculation over who would step into the role of Wednesday Addams’ enigmatic aunt, Netflix has announced that Eva will join the cast as Aunt Ophelia, whose name lingered throughout the show’s recently concluded second season.
Show creators and co-showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar expressed their excitement at the casting, calling Eva an inspired choice. “Eva Green has always brought an exhilarating, singular presence to the screen — elegant, haunting and beautifully unpredictable. Those qualities make her the perfect choice for Aunt Ophelia. We’re excited to see how she transforms the role and expands Wednesday’s world,” they said in an official statement.
Eva, too, shared her enthusiasm about entering the peculiar realm of the Addams family. “I’m thrilled to join the woefully twisted world of Wednesday as Aunt Ophelia. This show is such a deliciously dark and witty world, I can't wait to bring my own touch of cuckoo-ness to the Addams family,” said the 45-year-old actor.
{{/usCountry}}Eva, too, shared her enthusiasm about entering the peculiar realm of the Addams family. “I’m thrilled to join the woefully twisted world of Wednesday as Aunt Ophelia. This show is such a deliciously dark and witty world, I can't wait to bring my own touch of cuckoo-ness to the Addams family,” said the 45-year-old actor.
{{/usCountry}}For the unversed, Ophelia Frump — Morticia Addams’ sister — has long been a figure of mystery. In the show, known to have psychic raven abilities similar to Wednesday’s, Ophelia disappeared after a disturbing episode at Nevermore Academy, where she was found “screaming in the quad” with black tears streaming down her face. Morticia later reveals she was sent to Willow Hill, a psychiatric facility, after pushing her powers beyond control. She eventually checked out, but her whereabouts have remained unknown for the past 20 years.
Eva’s casting finally puts a face to the dark mythology built around Ophelia, further intensifying anticipation for the new season — which follows the phenomenal success of Season 2, released earlier this year and now ranked as Netflix’s fourth most-watched English-language series of all time.