Eva Green Joins Wednesday Season 3 as Aunt Ophelia Frump in Netflix’s Gothic Horror Sequel

Xander MacIntyre

On August 28, 2024, Netflix dropped a gothic bombshell: Eva Green, the hauntingly elegant star of Penny Dreadful and Casino Royale, will play Aunt Ophelia Frump as a series regular in Wednesday Season 3. The announcement, made via X (formerly Twitter), came with the cryptic tagline: "Woefully welcoming Eva Green to WEDNESDAY Season 3." It ended months of fan speculation — particularly the wild theory that Lady Gaga’s Rosalyn Rottwood from Season 2 was secretly Ophelia. It wasn’t. And frankly, this is better.

The Return of a Blood-Scrawled Ghost

Ophelia Frump first appeared in the original 1960s Addams Family TV series as Morticia’s unstable, eccentric sister. But in Wednesday Season 2, she became something far more sinister. In the finale, after Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) discovered Ophelia’s journal in the attic of the Addams ancestral home, a chilling vision unfolded: a woman in a blood-red dress, writing in crimson on the wall — "Wednesday must die." The message wasn’t just a threat. It was a prophecy. And Ophelia, we learned, had been locked away for two decades at Willow Hill psychiatric facility after her mother, Hester Frump (Joanna Lumley), deemed her too dangerous. She escaped. And now she’s coming for Wednesday.

That’s not just drama. That’s legacy horror. And Eva Green is the only actress alive who could make that line feel both terrifying and tragically poetic.

Why Eva Green? The Perfect Fit

It’s no accident Netflix chose Green. Her career is a masterclass in gothic allure. As Vanessa Ives in Penny Dreadful, she portrayed a woman wrestling with demons — literal and psychological — with a stillness that made every glance feel like a curse. She didn’t scream. She whispered. And the room shook. That’s exactly the energy Wednesday needs now.

Co-creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar put it perfectly: "Eva Green has always brought an exhilarating, singular presence to the screen — elegant, haunting and beautifully unpredictable." That’s not flattery. That’s a director’s prayer answered. Green doesn’t just act — she inhabits. And Ophelia isn’t just a character. She’s a force of nature: a woman whose visions are as real as Wednesday’s, but whose mind couldn’t survive the world’s rejection.

"I'm thrilled to join the woefully twisted world of Wednesday as Aunt Ophelia," Green told Tudum. "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." That word — "cuckoo-ness" — is the key. Ophelia isn’t mad. She’s just too honest for this world. And that’s what makes her dangerous.

Season 2’s Legacy and the Road Ahead

Wednesday Season 2 dropped in two parts — August 16 and September 1, 2024 — and became Netflix’s fourth most-watched English-language series ever. It didn’t top Season 1, which still holds the crown as the platform’s biggest English-language debut, but it proved the Addams family isn’t just a cult favorite. It’s a global phenomenon.

Season 2 introduced a raft of new faces: Thandiwe Newton as the razor-tongued Paris Geller, Frances O’Connor as the unnervingly calm Dr. Kinbott, and Lady Gaga as the delightfully deranged Rosalyn Rottwood. But none of them carried the same weight as Ophelia’s shadow.

Now, with Green stepping into that shadow, Season 3 isn’t just a continuation — it’s a reckoning. The blood on the wall? It’s not a warning. It’s a challenge. And Wednesday, for all her icy composure, is about to meet her mirror.

What’s Next? Filming, Timeline, and Expectations

Netflix officially greenlit Season 3 in January 2024, four months after Season 2’s finale. Production is expected to begin in early 2025, likely in the UK or Romania — locations that delivered the show’s signature gothic grandeur. A late 2025 or early 2026 release is the most plausible window, following the pattern of previous seasons.

With Tim Burton stepping back from day-to-day directing (though he remains executive producer), the creative reins now rest firmly with Gough and Millar. Their vision has been bold, irreverent, and deeply loyal to the Addams spirit — macabre, funny, and fiercely intelligent. Ophelia won’t just be a villain. She’ll be Wednesday’s dark inheritance.

And here’s the twist: Ophelia’s visions may not be about killing Wednesday. Maybe they’re about saving her. Maybe the blood isn’t a threat. Maybe it’s a map.

Why This Matters Beyond the Screen

Wednesday isn’t just a TV show. It’s a cultural reset. It turned a 60-year-old cartoon character into a Gen-Z icon. It made gothic fashion a runway staple. It gave queer teens a heroine who didn’t apologize for being strange. Now, with Eva Green’s Ophelia, it’s going deeper — into inherited trauma, the cost of genius, and the terrifying beauty of being misunderstood.

This isn’t casting. It’s canon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Aunt Ophelia Frump in the Addams Family lore?

Ophelia Frump is Morticia Addams’ younger sister, originally introduced in the 1960s Addams Family TV series as a quirky, mentally unstable relative. In the Netflix adaptation, she’s reimagined as a psychic who experienced terrifying visions like Wednesday’s, leading to her institutionalization at Willow Hill. Her journal’s warning — "Wednesday must die" — suggests a complex, possibly tragic connection to Wednesday’s destiny.

Why was Lady Gaga’s character ruled out as Ophelia?

Though fans speculated that Rosalyn Rottwood (played by Lady Gaga) might be Ophelia due to her erratic behavior and mysterious ties to Nevermore, the showrunners confirmed they were always separate characters. Rosalyn is a new creation for Season 2, designed to challenge Wednesday’s worldview, while Ophelia is a legacy figure from the Addams family tree — a blood relative with a darker, older history.

How does Eva Green’s casting impact the tone of Season 3?

Green’s presence elevates the show’s gothic horror elements. Her performance as Vanessa Ives in Penny Dreadful proved she can convey psychological torment with silence and gaze alone. Expect Ophelia to be less overtly monstrous and more eerily serene — a haunting presence whose madness feels like wisdom the world refused to hear. This will deepen Wednesday’s internal conflict: Is her aunt a threat… or a warning?

When is Wednesday Season 3 expected to premiere?

Filming is anticipated to begin in early 2025, with a likely release window of late 2025 or early 2026. This follows the pattern of previous seasons, which were released roughly 14–16 months apart. Netflix has not confirmed exact dates, but industry insiders suggest the production timeline will mirror Season 2’s rollout, possibly splitting the season into two parts for maximum buzz.

What role will Hester Frump play in Season 3?

Though Hester Frump (Joanna Lumley) was only seen briefly in Season 2, her decision to commit Ophelia to Willow Hill is central to the family’s trauma. It’s likely she’ll return — possibly as a reluctant ally or a hidden antagonist — especially if Ophelia’s escape threatens the Addams family’s carefully maintained secrecy. Her icy pragmatism could clash with Wednesday’s defiance in ways that reshape the entire Addams legacy.

Is Wednesday Season 3 the final season?

There’s no official word yet, but Netflix has signaled long-term commitment by renewing the show before Season 2 even aired. With the Addams Family universe rich in characters — including Uncle Fester, Grandmama, and Lurch — Season 3 could be the start of a broader saga. If Ophelia’s story unlocks the Addams family’s hidden history, the door to spin-offs or even a prequel may soon open.