Al Gough and Miles Millar, the showrunners behind Smallville and Netflix's Wednesday, once pitched a prequel series focusing on a younger version of Agatha Christie's detective Miss Marple. The project never materialized, but elements of its mystery theme influenced their work on Wednesday. Millar shared these details in a 2022 interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Background on the Creators
Al Gough and Miles Millar are known for reimagining iconic characters in their youth. Their breakthrough came with Smallville, a Superman prequel that aired from 2001 to 2011 and starred Tom Welling as a teenage Clark Kent. More recently, they created Netflix's Wednesday, which debuted in 2022 and has been renewed for a third season, centering on Jenna Ortega's portrayal of the sharp-witted Addams Family teen at boarding school.
The Unmade Miss Marple Project
Before tackling Wednesday, Gough and Millar spent years developing a prequel about a young Jane Marple, Agatha Christie's astute elderly sleuth. The idea explored how the character evolved into the 'nosy old lady' famous for solving mysteries through keen observation. As Millar explained in the 2022 Hollywood Reporter interview, 'We tried for a long time to get a young Miss Marple, and maybe that influenced us with the whodunnit element [on Wednesday], but it's certainly something that was intriguing as a character who you always see.' He added that whodunits provide 'a great puzzle for a writer to solve,' and delving into Marple's past, including her fencing background and artistic relatives, appealed to them.
Connections to Wednesday
The failed project left traces in Wednesday, which incorporates mystery-solving and paranormal twists akin to detective work. Millar noted similarities between the characters: both are independent, observant, and somewhat enigmatic about their histories. However, Wednesday was a deliberate choice, with the creators envisioning her 'fearlessness' in a new setting like boarding school. 'What if she was a teenage girl?' Millar said. 'And then what if you took her out of the family and put her in boarding school, which is ostensibly a new family? How would she react?' This unmade prequel highlights the duo's interest in youthful takes on established icons, though it remains unrealized.