The Addams Family Movies: Secrets That Deserve Double Snaps
10. Despite the popular belief that Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, or David Lynch would direct the film, the job fell to Sonnenfield, a cinematographer without any prior directing experience. The 25-week shoot took its toll on him, causing him to lose 13 pounds in the first 10 weeks alone. Sonnenfield recalled to Empire, “And the tension was just incredible.”
Three weeks into production, Sonnenfield fainted on set during a discussion about the budget. He described the experience, saying, “I was standing behind a chair when I started to feel this tremendous pressure in my chest, as if someone was blowing up a balloon inside me. Before I knew it, I got very dizzy and tried to sit down and – wham! – I’d passed out.”
11. Adding to his anxiety, Rubin playfully changed the name on the back of the director’s chair to a new name each time a reporter was on set, often including directors who had been considered for the film at some point.
12. The title of the sequel, Addams Family Values, was inspired by a controversial speech made in 1992 by then-Vice Presidential candidate Dan Quayle, who attributed the Los Angeles riots to a decline in “family values.”