Did Tim Burton direct Wednesday Season 2? Everything you need to know

All 8 episodes of Wednesday Season 2 are out on Netflix, and fans can't stop talking about the minds behind the show.

Among the many creative minds that led to season 2 of this acclaimed series was Tim Burton. Burton directed 4 important episodes of the latest season, including the opener that instantly reminded us of his classic style.

Burton's return to direct these episodes wasn't just a business decision but a creative one as he leaned into his roots, crafting a one-of-a-kind stop-motion sequence that feels inspired from his earliest work.

Let's break down exactly what he did for the new season and why it matters.

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Tim Burton’s haunting stop-motion touch in Wednesday Season 2

One of the most talked-about scenes in Wednesday Season 2 comes right in the first episode. Burton created a 90-second stop-motion flashback that feels like a window into his own past as much as it is a story within the show. The scene has Ajax narrating the eerie tale of a Nevermore student who replaces his weak heart with a clockwork one, only to be destroyed by his invention.

The way Ajax narrates the story and the way the stop-motion story is being told through a flashback totally echoes the flavors and themes that Burton has explored for decades. Think of it as being like the iconic Corpse Bride (2005).

Burton told The Hollywood Reporter that the sequence was extremely personal:

"This is the kind of a show where we get to play around with things, and that was special to me. In fact, I kind of went old school with it and I ended up designing the puppet...We need to pretend like I'm back in my student days."

The showrunners, Al Gough and Miles Millar, originally imagined the scene as a simple narrated flashback. However, Millar admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that they soon realized they had an opportunity to do something really cool.

"It felt like a gift...Tim loved the idea, and it took a really long time to pull together."

With help from Mackinnon & Saunders, who also worked on Corpse Bride, the detailing from the story really shines through. Every puppet was moved frame by frame, and every set was hand-built. That persistence is why the short sequence took a total of eight months to be completed.

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Why Burton’s return makes Wednesday Season 2 feel bigger

While Burton did not direct every episode of Wednesday Season 2, his presence is reflected in the season's tone. He directed the first, fourth, seventh, and eighth episodes, making sure that the season starts strong and ends on a high note.

Fans already know his style from the first season and from other iconic films like Frankenweenie. The stop-motion being in the first episode isn't just a flex of his artistic past but rather think of it as a bridge between Burton's start and the Gothic teen drama for an entirely new set and generation of people.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, Burton shared how stop-motion has always been in his blood. He said;

"The first movie I ever remember seeing was Jason and the Argonauts. So I was a stop-motion fan from the very beginning of my life. And I grew up with the Rankin and Bass shows, like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer..."

His earliest experiments included;

"A brain with an eye, and some pipe-cleaner tentacles that were fighting."

Burton also told the magazine he didn't want the scene to look too polished or digital:

"I wanted to make this like it's a student project... it was important to have that kind of crude, simplistic look."

The result that came out then feels authentic, like something a Nevermore student might actually make and go crazy over.

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Burton's work doesn't just set the mood, it defines it, reminding fans that Wednesday isn't just another Netflix teen hit. With his signature creativity all over the new season, Burton made sure that Wednesday Season 2 is as eerie and unmistakably Burton as it gets.

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Stay tuned to SoapCentral for more.

Also Read: Inside the eight-month process behind the striking stop-motion flashback

What does the Skull Tree reveal about Nevermore’s hidden history?