LOS GATOS, Calif. — Netflix producers are banging their heads in frustration regarding producer Tim Burton’s insistence that Johnny Depp should have gotten the lead role in “Wednesday,” exhausted sources confirmed.
“When Tim first brought up the idea of casting Johnny Depp as Wednesday Addams I thought he was joking,” recalls executive producer Miles Miller. “Slowly, I realized that he was actually serious. We had a few arguments and eventually cast Jenna, but he just won’t let it go. Even with season one already released, he honestly thinks we can just recast Depp, a middle-aged fedora enthusiast, to play the titular teenager for season two. I don’t understand what his obsession with Johnny Depp is. We have the same conversation several times a week, and I keep telling him that a man in his late fifties simply won’t pass for a high school girl.”
Burton’s fixation on Johnny Depp has not only caused tension with show producers. Members of the cast reported feeling fed up as well.
“Oh my god, if I have to hear about Johnny Depp from him one more time I’m going to lose it,” states “Wednesday” star Jenna Ortega. “I mean, when we were on set all I heard was ‘That’s not how Johnny would do it’ and ‘Johnny usually does this’ or ‘maybe try wearing a few bandanas on your wrists and a couple dozen chain necklaces.’ Like, why would I even care about some guy who played a pirate when I was a baby? I was seriously ready to walk off and quit but I knew that would just be giving him what he wanted.”
Pop culture analyst, Anthony Farnsworth, notes that this type of behavior isn’t completely out of the ordinary for a well-known Hollywood director, such as Burton.
“Very few directors ever make a hit movie. So when you have someone who has a string of successes they tend to cling tightly to what has worked for them in the past. It can lead to an unhealthy codependent relationship with their lead actors sometimes,” Farnsworth explains. “Famously, James Cameron originally cast Arnold Schwarzenegger as Jack in ‘Titanic,’ and Quentin Tarantino nearly ruined his career when he insisted on Uma Thurman playing the part of Django. It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out with Netflix.”
At press time, Burton has announced Helena Bonham Carter will be joining the cast of “Wednesday,” to take on the role of Cousin It.