Wednesday Season 2 is still a long way away, but director Tim Burton is ready to dive into the past and share some of his fondest memories about Jenna Ortega, the aspiring star of the series.

Netflix’s Wednesday has been a phenomenal hit ever since last year’s release of Season 1, and Ortega herself has received worldwide recognition after scoring the legendary part of Wednesday Addams, taking over from Christina Ricci. In an interview with BFI, Burton, who directed four episodes of Season 1 and is an executive producer on the show, opened up about working with Ortega and her take on the iconic character.

The Wednesday producer complimented the star, praising her professionalism on set. He even said that Ortega had “a special place” in his heart because she was a horror movie pro — a genre which Burton himself holds near and dear. “She’s one of the most aware, not only as an actress, but everything, around the camera, the set. She’s a very special talent. And she’s done a lot of horror movies, which I love too. That gave her a special place in my heart. ‘Oh, you’re doing another horror. Good,'” he elaborated.

The renowned director claimed that he felt a connection to the show primarily because he “related” to the main character. However, the also acknowledged that there would be no Wednesday if it weren’t for Ortega, who made the character richer and gave her the much-needed dimension. “When I did Wednesday, the reason I loved it is I just related to the character so much. But to me, it could not have been done without her. You can write it good, you can do whatever you want to do, but that kind of a character would need such clarity and purity and strength. A person has to have that. So for me, she basically made the show that way,” said Burton.

In the same interview, the director also gave a promising update to all the Wednesday fans — he confirmed that he would be associated with the series’ Season 2, although he couldn’t get into any specifics since the production was halted due to the strikes. Burton explained, “I mentally put stuff on hold until all the strikes are over. I can edit and do things I can do, but until the veil is lifted, then things get back into it. But yeah, I’ll be involved in some [way]. I’m not quite sure, because everything has stopped at the moment.”

The release date Wednesday Season 2 is yet to be announced by Netflix.