The Addams Family adaptations, ranked
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Ever since The Addams Family premiered in 1964, the horror-loving family has resonated with audiences tired of television's cookie-cutter all-American families. As the "first family of goth," The Addams Family was created by cartoonist Charles "Chas" Addams as an inversion to the "ideal" American Dream. The characters premiered in a 1938 cartoon strip in The New Yorker. The family includes parents Gomez and Morticia, children Wednesday and Pugsley, in-house workers, and extended family members Thing, Grandmama, Cousin Itt, Uncle Fester, and Lurch.
For over six decades, various iterations of the titular clan have haunted the big and small screen, including feature films, musicals, cartoons, and live-action television shows. Each introduces a new generation to the family's macabre sense of humor, with the newest adaptation of Addams's beloved and morbid family, Wednesday, which premiered in November 2022 on Netflix to record-breaking viewership and mostly positive critical reception.
The family's resonance with multiple generations of fans is evident in the multimedia adaptations popping up almost every decade. Each one adds something new to the Addams Family heritage while keeping in line with the low-brow satire of the manicured lawn and white picket fence Addams captured in his original cartoon strips. We've ranked all The Addams Family adaptations, including animated and live-action, TV and film, to see which ones should stay in the grave and which ones have lived forever.
12. <i>The New Addams Family</i> (1998-1999)
Released decades after the franchise began, The New Addams Family is the most disposable of all the property's iterations. Featuring a cast of relative unknowns, it also drags back John Astin, this time portraying Grandpapa Addams in a glorified cameo that brings nothing new to the historic franchise.
The Canadian remake had a surprising 65-episode run and even a Game Boy Color video game based on the series. One of the few bright spots is a return to the family's love of horror and gore, harkening back to the tone of the original comic strip. The success of the various remakes is often due to the caliber of the ensemble cast, and given this version has few familiar faces beyond Astin (who's not even Gomez here), it remains underwhelming and lacks the solid scares of the older iterations.
11. <i>The Addams Family Funhouse</i> (1973)
For a family that thrives on the weird and surreal, a musical variety show around the Addams might have been too bizarre even for them. The idea never materialized beyond an unsold pilot, which aired on various channels from 1973 to 1974. Comedy bits included a dance party, musical numbers, and blue-screen gags such as the front door being opened to reveal a film of a man parachuting through the air.
While perhaps chuckle-worthy at the time, these jokes feel flat today. The humor of the Addams family has succeeded best when they are placed in contrast against "normal" society, not through physical comedy, cheap special effects, and improvisation. This adaptation fails not because of its cast or themes, but because it veers away from the sitcom format that made it so unique. That said, The Addams Family Funhouse is still somewhat significant in retrospect for linking to the history of the Addams' potential Hispanic heritage, as this iteration was one of the first to cast a Latina — Puerto Rican-American actress Liz Torres as Morticia —to portray the Addams matriarch.
10. <i>The Addams Family</i> (1973)
The first cartoon adaptation of The Addams Family lacks the chilling charm of the live-action TV show. The dark humor and environment of the TV show, produced by Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, were toned down for a younger audience, and created for the Saturday morning cartoon slot. While the 1960s black-and-white TV adaptation charted the family into its best and most well-known format, this cartoon returns the family to 2D origins — and its softer tone is better enjoyed in The New Yorker cartoon strip.
Perhaps this version is best remembered for having a 10-year-old Jodie Foster voicing Pugsley, a gender-swapping performance that was certainly ahead of its time in 1973. The animated series also diverted from the live-action show's format by having the family on a road trip across America, stopping at various cities where their dark sensibilities would clash against the boring ethos of Middle America.
9. <i>The Addams Family: The Animated Series</i> (1992-1993)
Building off of the success of the 1991 live-action feature film, Hannah-Barbera produced this animated reboot of The Addams Family, which ran for two seasons in the early '90s on ABC. The cartoon features legendary voice actors like Jim Cummings as Lurch, Rip Taylor as Uncle Fester, Carol Channing as Granny Frump, and John Astin returning from the original black-and-white television show to voice Gomez. The show also gave the Addams a rival family to contend with, the Normanmeyers, who, as their surname suggests, want the creepy Addams clan out of their town.
Aimed at children, this series is the most accessible and watered-down version of the ghoulish family. Unfortunately, the show fails to bring anything new to the table or build upon what previous iterations have done. It relies too heavily on a rinse-and-repeat plot formula where the family encounters an issue they need to overcome collectively, which is neatly wrapped up by the end of the episode. It came across as a cash-in on the popularity of the live-action film but failed at entertaining at the same level given the lack of dark tone, personality, and edginess that makes the family so unique.
8. <i>Halloween With the New Addams Family</i> (1977)
This seasonal made-for-TV special is an extension of the 1960s live-action show, with many original cast members, such as John Astin and Carolyn Jones, returning. Halloween With the New Addams Family came out 11 years after the original series was canceled, meaning it was the first time viewers saw this specific cast in color, marking a dramatic change from the Addams' trademark black-and-white aesthetic.
As for the (somewhat underwhelming) plot, the Halloween special mostly centers around the family's gothic abode being robbed by thieves posing as fake Gomez and Morticia. In this case, fans of the original show are better off rewatching old episodes, as this special delivers a mediocre storyline easily surpassed by standout episodes of the original TV series.
7. <i>The Addams Family 2</i> (2021)
The success of the 2019 animated film spawned this sequel, which brought back the talented voice cast reprising their roles — minus Finn Wolfhard as Pugsley. The story takes on a similar approach as the 1973 animated series, as it sees the Addams leave their haunted mansion and embark on a vacation to become closer. The family trip is also an attempt by Gomez (Oscar Isaac) and Morticia (Charlize Theron) to overcome fears that Wednesday (Chloë Grace Moretz), somehow, might have been switched at birth.
Throughout the haunted hijinks, the film mines the familiar territory of finding your family and fitting in. Though bordering on cliché cookie-cutter fan service, the content at times stays fresh through the macabre tone and gothic characters of the Addams clan. While it breaks little ground from its live-action counterparts, the talented voice cast and crisp, lively animation make it an easy watch for families looking to introduce their kids to the ghoulish gang. In the end, The Addams Family 2 succeeds with gorgeous animation despite its simple plot, as well as with engaging vocal performances. Hey, it's for the kids, after all.
6. <i>The Addams Family Reunion</i> (1998)
This direct-to-video film, disconnected from any previous adaptation, boasts another solid cast of actors: Tim Curry as Gomez, Daryl Hannah as Morticia, and veteran character actors Estelle Harris and Ed Begley Jr. in supporting roles. The 1990s saw the highest concentration of Addams Family media, with an assortment of films, television shows, and animated series premiering. The Reunion was a reboot of sorts to the feature films of the early '90s, as producers decided against another sequel after the death of Raul Julia, who had previously portrayed Gomez.
Meanwhile, viewers had gotten used to the iconic chemistry between Huston and Julia as Morticia and Gomez, making it difficult for the newcomers to leave their mark. Curry in particular is well known for portraying villains (It, Ferngully, The Rocky Horror Picture Show), but doesn't always strike the right balance as the loveable patriarchal oaf. Here, his dark sense of humor fits into the Addams clan's legacy, and he plays the role with gusto, as he does every performance. But Gomez's character has always been one of the lighter personalities in the family, meaning Curry may shine too brightly here, and not enough to elevate the rest of the film.
This one-off adaptation also lacked the budget and familiarity of the previous films, so it relies on amping up the "weirdness" of the Addams in contrast to modern, conservative society. That mashing of cultures has always been at the heart of the family's story, but this iteration could have leaned on subtly to drive that point home with a better script and a bit of restraint. Addams Family plots rarely matter, and this one utilizes a simplistic formula of an outsider looking to steal the Addams's fortune, only to be thwarted by the family's love of revenge and each other. While the plot is tired, the eclectic cast of character actors makes it worth a watch, though it's by no means the best of the bunch.
5. <i>The Addams Family</i> (2019)
Once again, what a cast! Along with Isaac stepping into the role of Gomez, Theron as Morticia, Wolfhard as Pugsley, and Grace Moretz as Wednesday, The Addams Family animated film, in a bit of perfect casting, enlists Nick Kroll as Uncle Fester. The well-known stars bring acting chops and recognizable voices without veering away from the previous film's dark humor. It had been over 20 years since the last Addams Family reboot, introducing the clan to a new generation of viewers mostly unaware of their artistic history. Which is great, because the secret to a successful Addams adaptation has always been how well it walks the line between its dark sensibilities and themes of family and being yourself — and this iteration does both.
In addition, the soundtrack features a bevy of pop and rap stars like Snoop Dogg, Migos, and Christina Aguilera to appeal to a younger, hipper demographic. Production on a reboot started in 2010 but toiled in development hell until the CGI version was greenlit. But the wait paid off, as the film reignited the franchise's popularity, though some critics were less than thrilled with its homage to the celebrated franchise.
4. <i>Wednesday</i> (2022)
The newest adaptation of the Addams clan focuses on the eldest child, Wednesday, this time played by Scream's Jenna Ortega. By casting the Hispanic Ortega and Luis Guzmán as Gomez, the show connects the family to their supposed Spanish origin, which has long been debated (The family's Spanish ancestry was even hinted at in the episode "Art and the Addams Family" on the original black-and-white TV series).
In addition, Christina Ricci, who played Wednesday in the 1991 feature film adaptation and its sequel, returns as Marilyn Thornhill, who works at Wednesday's new school. This level of fan service elevates the series by bringing back the most memorable actor and character from the early '90s film series. It also gives Ricci the opportunity to officially pass the torch of the iconic Wednesday to Ortega. In addition, the Addams gang is made up of Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley, Fred Armisen as Uncle Fester, and Thing (Victor Dorobantu).
This reboot, helmed by macabre maestro Tim Burton, obviously stands out from the Addams adaptation canon by putting Wednesday center stage, this time as a schoolyard detective at an academy for monstrous pupils, where she uses her budding psychic abilities to solve the murders perpetuated by a mysterious creature.
And so far, critics and viewers alike are reveling in this fresh take on a pop culture favorite, as it debuted at number one on Netflix and has become the third most-watched English language series in the streamer's history. Wednesday has also drawn praise for Ortega's performance, who manages to carry her character's torch in all the necessary ways (that foreboding gaze, a less-is-more comedic timing) while also managing to make Wednesday her own.
3. <i>The Addams Family</i> (1991)
The first film adaptation of the Addams Family clan boasts an excellent ensemble cast of A-list actors. Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston play the gothic patriarch and matriarch roles with unmatched passion, whispering sweet nothings in the moonlight (many related to death). Having two award-winning actors of their caliber, along with Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester, Christina Ricci in her first (and perhaps, the most culturally iconic) turn as Wednesday Addams, and Judith Malina as Grandmama, elevate the film to one of the best movie version of the horror-loving family.
Julia and Houston build upon the passion-filled chemistry of Astin and Jones while adding an extra layer of gravitas with their acting chops. The film also gives each major and minor family member a chance to shine, especially character actor Carel Struycken (Twin Peaks' ominous giant/"Firefighter") as perfectly cast as the loveable butler, Lurch. The film also excels at building the spooky spectacle of the clan's castle, which squeaks and squirms with a life of its own, full of hidden rooms and mysterious history.
Improved special effects at the time made for the best portrayals of some of the family's most unusual members, like Cousin Itt and Thing, which were depicted by early (and often crude) special effects in previous iterations. But it's the chemistry of the cast, each expertly selected, that brings a heightened level of authenticity and portrayal to the titular family. Many old TV shows were revived during the '90s, including The Beverly Hillbillies, Dennis the Menace, and Leave it to Beaver — but none were as entertaining or well-cast as this one.
2. <i>The Addams Family Values</i> (1993)
The sequel to the beloved 1991 film has a more straightforward plot, which feels more in line with the Addams family's unique ability to walk the line between horror and comedy. Christopher Lloyd's Uncle Fester falls in love, although his bride-to-be (Joan Cusack) turns out to be a serial killer out for murder — and Fester's inheritance.
The film is a bit cheesier than its predecessor but gets by on the talent of its ensemble and the genuine wit of its script. Cusack is at her huckster best as the film's antagonist, but Family Values is a star vehicle for Lloyd, who is the quintessential Uncle Fester in the eyes of most present fans. The film is able to focus more on his lovesick bachelor more as the main character because of the indelible performance from Lloyd, who never lets his Igor-like Fester come off as a one-note caricature.
Meanwhile, the film's standout sub-plot centers on Wednesday (Christina Ricci) and her brother Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) being forced to attend a summer camp where their gore-loving outsider ways clash with the normie campers. This narrative is far more interesting than the central storyline, and Wednesday's subsequent popularity might have inspired producers of the new namesake Netflix series to create a vehicle around her.
1. <i>The Addams Family</i> (1964)
The first-ever adaptation of The Addams Family set the blueprint for the various versions we would see throughout the decades. As Gomez, John Astin brought a sophisticated, playboy essence to the family patriarch, adding a lusty undertone between him and Carolyn Jones' Morticia unseen on television at that time. Innovative and transgressive for its era and genre, the show was a far departure from the original black-and-white comic strip. It's one of the most iconic series of the 1960s, aptly encapsulating the tone and torment embedded in the source material.
Before the Addams Family's first TV adaptation, there was nothing else like it. It premiered just a mere few days before The Munsters, another monsterish family sitcom. But still, Addams was first, and when it premiered, it deconstructed the white-washed nuclear family portrayals that were the norm for viewers (and, sadly, are often still the norm today). The show pushed the boundaries on how women were portrayed, as more than just dutiful objects, and instead as independent-thinkers, passionate, pessimistic weirdos. Come for the spooky laughs, and stay for a fantastic cast, sharp and witty dialogue, and crisp black-and-white cinematography. Also, who could forget the finger-snapping theme song?
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