The Addams Family—Gomez and Morticia Addams, spooky kids Wednesday and Pugsley, Uncle Fester and Grandmama, their butler Lurch, the disembodied hand Thing, and Cousin Itt—started life as a cartoon (by Charles Addams), originally published in the New Yorker. The creepy clan is going back to their roots with an animated Addams Family film adaptation by Conrad Vernon, the director of the animated comedy Sausage Party. Monster House and Corpse Bride screenwriter Pamela Pettler will write the script.
The macabre family is best known for their ‘60s television show, starring John Astin and Carolyn Jones. The 1990s film adaptation now has a cult following. That movie starred Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, and Christina Ricci. Two movie sequels followed. Since then, the Addams Family has been turned into a successful musical, and their story has been novelized, adapted for videogames, and more. Others have taken the animated route, in the ‘90s and ‘70s (with voices from a cast that included baby Jodie Foster).
It remains to be seen if Vernon will stick to Addams’ specifications for the cartoon style, but most likely not. Still, we can’t think of a better news-y gift for Friday the 13th.