With the anticipation forWednesdayseason 2 increasing as its 2025 arrival approaches,Tim Burton has a great fantasy film trending on Max that’s perfect to watch while waiting. While Burton rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s for his distinctive style and ingenuity in the dark fantasy genre, yielding timeless hits likeBeetlejuice,Edward Scissorhands, and hisBatmanduology, the director’s films in the 2010s saw a notable decline in consistency with critical and audience adoration. Ultimately, it wasn’t until 2022’sWednesdaythat Burton saw a true career comeback, leading to hisimpressiveBeetlejuice 2successin 2024.
Though Burton experienced several box office disappointments and critical misfires in the 2010s, there were still some notable hits in this era that paved the way for his resurgence withWednesday.Among his most promising entries wasMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Childrenin 2016, which proved a moderate commercial and critical success. The film earned over $296 million at the box office against a reported $110 million budget, and currently holds a 65%Rotten Tomatoesscore.Miss Peregrinealso bears narrative and tonal similarities to Burton’s Netflix show, providing a terrific viewing on Max beforeWednesdayseason 2’s release.
Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children Is Very Similar To Tim Burton’s Nevermore Academy In Wednesday
The “Peculiars” Are Very Similar To Wednesday’s “Outcasts”
Tim Burton’s fantasy filmMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Childrenis currently trending on Max’s top 10 moviesalongside his 2024 hitBeetlejuice Beetlejuice, and it’s hard not to notice the similarities between the 2016 film andWednesdayupon a rewatch.Miss Peregrineis based on the 2011 novel of the same name, followinga teenage boy named Jack who ventures to the magical titular place that houses teens and kids with special powers known as “Peculiars.”This premise, of course, calls to mindWednesday Addams attending Nevermore Academy, a school for supernatural teens known as “Outcasts.”
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With a dark gothic atmosphere, a killer on the loose, buried family secrets, ostracized teens with distinctive supernatural powers, and someBurton-esque CGI monsters,Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children provided a great lead-in to Burton’s work on the characters, story, setting, and ambience ofWednesday. In some ways,Wednesdayseason 1 felt like an expansion of the titular setting inMiss Peregrinewith a darkerAddams Familytwist. With more time to dig into the world’s lore and supernatural species,Wednesdayalso helps make the case thatMiss Peregrinemight have worked better as a series.
Tim Burton’s Wednesday Success Fixed Where Miss Peregrine Went Wrong In 2016
Wednesday Avoided Some Of Miss Peregrine’s Worldbuilding Errors
WhileMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Childrenwasn’t a failure for Burton, it had far more potential for critical success, box office victories, and a franchise future than it fulfilled.One common source of criticism was the 2016 film’s script, which was considered overstuffed while lacking a necessary emotional pull. That wasn’t the case forWednesdayseason 1, which paid great care to its emotional storylines and succeeded with a smart and compelling murder mystery narrative.
Will Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children 2 Ever Happen?
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children had a mediocre opening at the box office and received mixed reviews, slashing hopes of a sequel.
Miss Peregrinealso glossed over much of the story’s more intriguing supernatural history and world, whereasWednesdayseason 1 was able to dive deep into Nevermore Academy’s lore, the outcast species’ dynamics, and the relationships amongWednesday’s Addams family tree. Though the Hyde monster is a notable exception,Wednesdayalso dropped much of the CGI-heavy filmmaking that came to generally define Burton’s work in the 2010s, includingMiss Peregrine. Ultimately,Wednesdayfound the right balance between establishing striking visual atmospheres and crafting a strong narrative with fleshed-out characters thatMiss Peregrinestruggled with.
Wednesday
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Wednesday follows the journey of Wednesday Addams as she attends Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for outcasts. Tasked with mastering her psychic abilities, she confronts a series of town murders and a haunting family mystery from 25 years ago, all while managing new social dynamics.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
When Jacob discovers clues to a mystery that spans different worlds and times, he finds Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. But the mystery and danger deepen when he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers. Based on the 2011 novel by Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was directed by Tim Burton and stars Eva Green as the titular character.
