Netflix's 'Wednesday' Season 2 Makes History with New Filming Location

Filming has begun for the awaited second season of Netflix's hit series "Wednesday," which will shift locations.

Jenna Ortega reprises the Addams Family character. Most of the cast returns; however, a crucial performer left mid-production, changing Wednesday season two roster, per The Independent.

Screen Ireland announced the change of the show's location from Romania to County Wicklow, Ireland. Due to logistical issues, the film has become the biggest production ever filmed in the country.

Taoiseach Simon Harris, Ireland's Prime Minister, visited the set with show creators Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and director Tim Burton. Harris noted Ireland's rising position as a worldwide film site, boosting the economy and displaying creative talent.

Netflix's VP of Production EMEA, Anna Mallett, commended Ireland's contributions to the streaming giant's portfolio and "Wednesday"'s cultural relevance.

In the first week of the series' first season, its viewership reached 341.2 million hours, breaking milestones set by "Stranger Things."

Netflix Shark Movie Accused of Copyright Violation

Meanwhile, another Netflix film made the headlines in Europe.

Despite a copyright dispute, a French court ruled that Netflix can stream "Under Paris," a shark horror film. The Paris court rejected a film director's copying allegations because it was addressed to Netflix's French division, not its global counterpart, according to a report published by Manila Standard.

Netflix France is not the streaming platform's "operator, publisher, or host," the court said. However, the court did not address charges that the film, set around the impending Olympic Games, substantially duplicated the storyline of an unproduced gigantic catfish film.

In a separate case, Vincent Dietschy, who co-wrote "Silure" with Emily Barnett in 2011, is suing Under Paris's producers. Dietschy claims "Under Paris" has "the same story, the same characters, and several identical scenes" as his project.

Netflix contends the similarities are coincidental, and no other party obtained Dietschy's unfinished project.

Since its early June premiere on Netflix, "Under Paris," directed by Xavier Gens and starring Berenice Bejo as a marine researcher, has had over 84 million views. The site's fourth-most-watched non-English film has been in the Top 10 for four weeks.

Netflix is Phasing Out Lowest Ad-Free Plan

Early this week, Netflix started eliminating its cheapest ad-free membership option for existing users. According to The Verge, Netflix now asks certain basic plan members to upgrade to continue using the streaming platform.

One Reddit user published a Netflix app message saying, "Your last day to watch Netflix is July 13th." Select a new monitoring plan." The base subscription costs $11.99 per month, but subscribers may choose between a $6.99 ad-supported, $15.49 ad-free, or $22.99 ad-free premium plan with 4K resolution.

Netflix stated in January that existing users in Canada and the UK would lose the basic tier in the second quarter. The Netflix price pages in both countries no longer list the Basic plan and advise consumers to switch plans anytime.

The streaming giant discontinued selling the basic plan to new and returning US, Canadian, and UK users last year. Netflix has not said when it will phase out the basic package for US consumers.

Like other streaming services, Netflix is promoting its ad-supported plan, which has grown to over 40 million members as of May.