Although many assumed that renowned directors like Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, or David Lynch would helm the film, the responsibility fell to Barry Sonnenfeld. Despite his background as a cinematographer, Sonnenfeld had no prior directing experience. The demanding 25-week production took a toll on him, as he confessed to Empire magazine, “I lost 13 pounds in the first 10 weeks alone. The tension was just incredible.”

Only three weeks into filming, Sonnenfeld collapsed on set during a budget discussion. Recalling the incident, he said, “I was standing behind a chair when I started to feel this tremendous pressure in my chest, like a balloon was inflating inside me. Before I realized what was happening, I got very dizzy, tried to sit down, and – wham! – I’d passed out.”

Adding to his stress, producer Scott Rubin would jokingly change the name on the back of Sonnenfeld’s director chair every time a journalist visited the set. These names often included directors who had been considered for the project, adding a layer of playful chaos to the environment.

The title of the sequel, Addams Family Values, was inspired by a contentious speech given by then-Vice Presidential candidate Dan Quayle in 1992. In his remarks, Quayle attributed the Los Angeles riots to a decline in “family values.”