Cursed

Cursed is an American fantasy drama web television series on Netflix, based on the illustrated YA book of the same name by Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler.

Initially, Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler developed the basic story of Nimue without knowing what format it would take. By the time they had decided to write a novel, Netflix was contacting them. As a result, the show and novel began to develop simultaneously. Wheeler and Miller co-created the series and strongly influenced the content and vice-versa. Wheeler explained that occasionally he would like something that director Zetna Fuentes did on the show and add it to the novel.

Wheeler and Miller were both fascinated by Arthurian legends as children. Billing Cursed as a sort of Arthurian prequel, Wheeler, Miller, and Fuentes explain that their story follows epic heroes before they become eventual legends. In fact, Wheeler hinted that several characters in Cursed will grow to be the legendary Arthurian characters, but are unidentifiable early on.

The Cursed novel by Wheeler and Miller was released on October 1, 2019, with the series having premiered on Netflix on July 17, 2020.^[1] On July 9, 2021, it was announced that the series had been canceled after a single season.^[2]

Logline[]

Cursed is described as "a re-imagining of the Arthurian legend, told through the eyes of Nimue, a teenage heroine with a mysterious gift who is destined to become the powerful (and tragic) Lady of the Lake. After her mother’s death, she finds an unexpected partner in Arthur, a young mercenary, in a quest to find Merlin and deliver an ancient sword. Over the course of her journey, Nimue will become a symbol of courage and rebellion against the terrifying Red Paladins, and their complicit King Uther." Netflix has described the series as a "coming-of-age story whose themes are familiar to our own time: the obliteration of the natural world, religious terror, senseless war, and finding the courage to lead in the face of the impossible".

Credits[]

Cast listed are those who were announced as appearing in the series before its premiere. See individual episode listings for specific appearances and more cast.

Main Cast[]

Recurring Cast[]

Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Cumber the Ice King
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as Rugen the Leper King
Matt Stokoe as Gawain
Natasha Culzac as Isma
Olwen Fouéré as Yeva
Andrew Whipp as Jonah (Nimue's Father)
Tobi King Bakare as Josse
Joel Morris as Keth
Selva Rasalingam as Dizier
Jennifer Saayeng as Druna

Crew[]

Tom Wheeler (creator/showrunner/executive producer/writer)
Frank Miller (creator/executive producer)
Zetna Fuentes (director/executive producer)
Alex Boden (producer)
Silenn Thomas (co-executive producer)

Development[]

Production[]

On March 28, 2018, Cursed was ordered to series.^[3]
On September 12, 2018, Katherine Langford was cast in the starring role.^[4]
On March 4, 2019, Devon Terrell, Gustaf Skarsgård, Peter Mullan, Lily Newmark, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Daniel Sharman, Sebastian Armesto, Emily Coates, Catherine Walker, Billy Jenkins were cast in starring roles.^[5]

Reception[]

As of August 2, 2020, the first season of Cursed has been received generally positively by critics, with a fresh rating of 70% on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes with 46 critic reviews. The site's Critic's Consensus for the season states that "Cursed's first season isn't as subversive as its source material, but strong plotting and a heroic performance from Katherine Langford make for an enjoyable escape." Notably, the series has rated rather less favorably with viewers, who give it an overall 50% rating, placing it in "rotten" territory.^[6] The series shot to #1 of the top 10 movies and films viewed on Netflix, two days after its premiere on July 17.^[7] Despite this, as of March 21, 2021, there has been no news of either a cancellation or renewal for the series. An insider stated that Netflix may be considering canceling the series due to the burdens placed on production by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[8] On July 9, 2021, it was announced that the program had been canceled after a single season.^[2]

Trivia[]

Comic book writer/artist Frank Miller and writer/producer Tom Wheeler were teaming for the original drama series.^[9]
The series is based on Miller and Wheeler’s illustrated book of the same name.^[9]
- The illustrated book was published in fall 2019 by Simon & Schuster.^[9]
This is believed to be the first time the same creative team will be writing a book and TV series based on it simultaneously as they get to explore the characters from the book in more detail on screen.^[9]
Miller and Wheeler will serve as executive producers.^[9]
- Wheeler will also be showrunner and writer.^[9]
- Zetna Fuentes is set to direct and serve as an executive producer on the first two episodes.^[9]
  - Jon East will also direct.
- Alex Boden is producer and Silenn Thomas is co-executive producer.^[9]