A retelling of the Addams family's story is coming to Netflix.
Wednesday, directed by Tim Burton, will shine a spotlight on Wednesday Addams, the teenage daughter of Morticia and Gomez Addams known for her morbid fascinations and dark braided pigtails.
It was announced on Monday that Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones is to play matriarch Morticia Addams and Puerto Rican Narcos actor Luis Guzman will step in to play Gomez Addams. It was previously reported that Jenna Ortega will star as the titular Wednesday.
According to Netflix, the eight-episode live-action series "will see everyone’s favourite maiden of the macabre graduate into a full-fledged leading lady".
"A sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams's years as a student at Nevermore Academy," Netflix says of the new series.
"Wednesday's attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorised the local town, and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago – all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore."
The Addams family have been adapted from cartoons, first created by American illustrator Charles Addams for The New Yorker in 1938, to television, film and video game characters.
In the past, Morticia has been notably played by Carolyn Jones (in the 1964 series The Addams Family), Anjelica Huston (in films The Addams Family and Addams Family Values), Daryl Hannah (in Addams Family Reunion) and Brooke Shields (in 2010 musical, The Addams Family). Gomez has been played by Raul Julia, Tim Curry, Glenn Taranto, Nathan Lane and Roger Rees, and Wednesday by Lisa Loring, Christina Ricci, Krysta Rodriguez, Rachel Potter and Carrie Hope Fletcher.
The extended Wednesday cast is yet to be announced. However, other family members include Pugsley, Wednesday's older brother, and Pubert, their younger brother; Uncle Fester, the brother of Gomez; Grandmama; the hairy Cousin Itt; and a disembodied hand called Thing.
Burton is known for his pop-horror films and TV series, including The Nightmare Before Christmas, which he wrote, and Frankenweenie, Beetlejuice and Corpse Bride, all of which he directed.
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Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
