Last year, we got word that the second season of Netflix's Wednesday had added a new cast member that was sure to bring the show a lot of attention, with Lady Gaga (A Star is Born, Joker: Folie à Deux) set to join the Addams Family spin-off series in a mysterious role.
Details on Gaga's character were not disclosed at the time, but we now know that the pop megastar will play Rosaline Rotwood, who is described as "a legendary Nevermore Academy teacher who crosses paths with Wednesday Addams."
In addition to her guest role, Gaga is set to debut her new song, "The Dead Dance," during the show.
"It was all about the way that we sometimes feel when it’s over; how a relationship ending can kill our ability to feel hopeful about love," she explained to EW in a recent interview. "It’s got this really cool, funky beat underneath it. And that is when the song becomes not just about the relationship; it becomes about having fun with your friends when you’ve been through something tough and amazing. I can’t wait for people to listen to it."
Gaga's involvement with the series was foreshadowed shortly after the first season, when a meme featuring Jenna Ortega's Wednesday Addams dancing to a sped-up version of 2011's Bloody Mary went viral.
Ortega would later state that she would love Gaga to be a part of the show while being interviewed at the 2023 Golden Globes.
"I'm sure Netflix would love that. I think Mrs. Thornhill and Wednesday had this weird mentor relationship or kind of understood each other in a certain way, so, if Lady Gaga were to be a part, I think it would have to be two monsters that understand each other."
The first four episodes of Wednesday season 2 are now streaming. Gaga is set to make her debut in the second half of the season, which hits Netflix on September 3.
Wednesday also stars Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia, Luis Guzmán as Gomez, Isaac Ordonez as Pugsly, and Thing... as Thing.
The first season proved to be a massive hit for Netflix, breaking the record for most hours viewed in a single week… twice. In the first week, it raked in 341.23 million hours viewed; in its second, 411.29 million hours viewed.
"Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega), returns to prowl the Gothic halls of Nevermore Academy, where fresh foes and woes await. This season, Wednesday must navigate family, friends and old adversaries, propelling her into another year of delightfully dark and kooky mayhem. Armed with her signature razor-sharp wit and deadpan charm, Wednesday is also plunged into a new bone-chilling supernatural mystery," reads the season 2 synopsis.
Burton made his TV directing debut with the show, and also executive produced alongside Jonathan Glickman, Andrew Mittman, Kayla Alpert, Gail Berman, Steve Stark, and Kevin Miserocchi.
“We can’t wait to dive headfirst into another season and explore the kooky, spooky world of Nevermore,” Millar and Gough told Tudum in January 2023. “We just need to make sure Wednesday hasn’t emptied the pool first.”