'Wednesday' Draws Record-Breaking Audience On Netflix, Surpasses 'Stranger Things'

It looks like it was a good first week for the Netflix original series and "The Addams Family" reimagining "Wednesday." The new series was so popular that its first week of viewership topped the previously held record by "Stranger Things 4" for the streaming service.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, "Wednesday," starring Jenna Ortega as the titular Wednesday Addams, drew the biggest-ever audience for Netflix for an English-language series.

THR reports that the show drew 341.2 million viewing hours worldwide last week, based on Netflix's own internal measurements. The figure surpasses the first week of "Strange Things 4" following that season's debut earlier this year from the period of May 30-June 5.

This is the best week ever for an English-language series on the streaming service. The Korean-language series, "Squid Game," still holds the all-time record for its opening week on Netflix. The South Korean survival drama series drew 571.76 million viewers for its first week of release from September 27-October 3, 2021. Additionally, it later drew two weeks above 400 million hours as well.

The show has been generating a lot of buzz online, especially for an incredible dance sequence featuring Ortega's Wednesday. Ortega choreographed the sequence herself. The YouTube clip of the sequence is now up to over 3.3 million views since it dropped just a few short days ago.

https://youtu.be/NakTu_VZxJ0

THR also reports that the show was No. 1 on Netflix in 83 countries in its first week, tying with "Stranger Things 4." Per Netflix's internal estimates, more than 50 million homes watched at least part of the series, with the total viewing divided by the show's runtime of about six hours.

The supernatural comedy horror series is based on "The Addams Family." It was created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, with Tim Burton executive producing the show and directing the first four episodes of the first season.

The show stars Ortega as Wednesday Addams, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Addams, Luiz Guzman as Gomez Addams, Fred Armisen as Fester Addams, Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams, Gwendoline Christie Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, and Christina Ricci. Ricci herself previously portrayed the character of Wednesday in the 1991 theatrical film, "The Addams Family," and its 1993 sequel, "The Addams Family Values."

In the new show, Wednesday Addams is embroiled in a supernatural mystery and becomes a student at Nevermore Academy. The first season is streaming now on Netflix.

Ortega has had a very prominent and successful 2022. She opened the year with a breakout role in the highly successful sequel, "Scream," opposite franchise regulars Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox. She followed that up with the successful and acclaimed A24 horror picture, "X," and now she's in a new series on Netflix that is generating a lot of ratings and buzz.

Ortega is currently working on the next installment of the "Scream" franchise with "Scream 6," where she will reprise her role as Tara Carpenter. The upcoming sequel will take the franchise to New York City for the first time. Ortega will star opposite the returning Cox, Melissa Barrera, and Hayden Panettiere, who is back from "Scream 4." The sequel is due out in theaters on March 10, 2023.