Despite being one of Netflix's most well-liked 2022 releases, Wednesday might end up in Amazon's hands because of the company's ownership of The Addams Family IP.
Since the 1960s sitcom of the same name, The Addams Family has already been adapted multiple times; nevertheless, Netflix's Wednesday is the first spinoff that focuses on the eccentric family's gothic elder daughter.
The Tim Burton series, which debuted in November 2022, shattered several prized Netflix records after it premiered, surpassing Stranger Things season 4 to become the platform's most-watched English-language series in its first week, for example.
Given how well-liked Wednesday has been on Netflix, the streaming service would be devastated to lose the show.
The Addams Family spinoff is still guaranteed at least one more season of episodes thanks to Netflix's official renewal of Wednesday for season 2 on January 6.
Nevertheless, Wednesday's appeal may result in further arguments over streaming rights with Amazon Prime Video as the streaming wars go on and platforms reevaluate their ownership of well-known IP.
Amazon successfully acquired Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) for $8.5 billion in early 2022, following other agreements in Hollywood to acquire production businesses (via Variety).
In this agreement, Amazon obtained the rights to the intellectual property (IP) that MGM already owned, including the James Bond, Rocky, and The Addams Family franchises.
However, the renowned 1960s comedy is already available to stream on the free, ad-supported platforms of Pluto TV and Tubi TV, and the Paramount-owned Addams Family picture series is also available through third parties.
MGM is still a producer for the Tim Burton series because Netflix had to get the rights to the characters from The Addams Family for Wednesday.