Fred Armisen Brings Uncle Fester to Life in Spin Off

Fred Armisen, who plays the wonderfully weird Uncle Fester, confirmed that the planned spin-off series is still alive and sparking with energy.

“Yeah, we’re working on it,” Armisen said during his chat on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “It’s fantastic… It’s amazing.”

Netflix struck gold with Wednesday when it launched in 2022, introducing Jenna Ortega as the darkly clever heroine. Fans were delighted when Armisen showed up as Uncle Fester, Gomez Addams’ (Luis Guzmán) brother who can generate electricity with a touch. His appearances were small but memorable, and Deadline first revealed in December 2023 that the streaming giant was developing a spin off centered on him.

Now, after two seasons of Wednesday, the question is whether Fester can shine when the spotlight is all his.

While plenty of viewers loved Armisen’s take, some are cautious about making him the star. On Reddit, one fan wrote, “I really enjoyed Armisen's Uncle Fester. I also think an entire show devoted to him would be near unbearable. I'd be more than happy to be proven wrong, however.”

Another added, “Yeah, I think he's one of those characters that works best in small doses. He's absolutely hysterical... but I'm not sure it would work for an entire series.”

The discussion also touched on production concerns. “They like to reuse the same production crew for spinoffs like this and that would mean a longer turnaround for Wednesday... and I don't think any of us want that,” another user noted.

Even with the doubts, the project is officially moving forward, and Armisen’s excitement is clear. Whether the Uncle Fester spin-off will shock fans in a good way or prove that less is more remains to be seen. For now, one thing is certain: the Addams family tree keeps growing new, delightfully strange branches.