Netflix officially rounds out the cast for the new TV show Cursed, created by Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler, as filming officially begins. Last September, Katherine Langford was announced as the series lead. Filming began this month in both England and Wales.
Inspired by the King Arthur legend, Cursed is a narrative re-imagining through the eyes of a teenager named Nimue (Langford). The coming-of-age story chronicles Nimue’s complicated journey, as she’s destined to become the Lady of the Lake and gift the sword Excalibur to the mercenary Arthur. Last March, Netflix ordered a 10-episode season 1, which is based on Miller and Wheeler’s upcoming book of the same name. Zetna Fuentes (Jessica Jones) will direct the first two episodes, and Netflix has described the series as having themes that connect to present times: “the obliteration of the natural world, religious terror, senseless war, and finding the courage to lead in the face of the impossible.”
Per Netflix, Cursed now has a full supporting cast: Devon Terrell (Barry), Gustaf Skarsgård (Westworld, Vikings), Daniel Sharman (Fear the Walking Dead, Medici), Peter Mullan (Ozark), Lily Newmark (Pin Cushion), Shalom Brune-Franklin (The State, Our Girl), Sebastian Armesto (Poldark, Broadchurch), Emily Coates (Flack), Catherine Walker (Versailles, The Delinquent Season), and Billy Jenkins (The Crown, Holmes & Watson, Humans). In addition, Alex Boden (Sense8, Cloud Atlas) will produce, and the official Cursed book will be released later this fall, written by Wheeler and illustrated by Miller.
In 1986, Miller released the four-issue comic book series The Dark Knight Returns, which inspired various media adaptations. He’s also the mind behind 300 and Sin City, both of which were adapted for the big screen. Miller also directed the 2008 neo-noir The Spirit. As for Wheeler, he created the 2011 NBC series The Cape and co-wrote the 2011 DreamWorks film Puss in Boots. With Cursed, Miller and Wheeler have a strong lead in Langford, who starred in the controversial series 13 Reasons Why, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. The Netflix drama examines suicide, specifically the death of a high school student and her tape recordings that detail why she killed herself. At 22 years old, the Australian actress Langford is a rising star and will soon appear in the Marvel film Avengers: Endgame.
In the past week, Netflix has defended itself against Oscars backlash. But regardless of how one views the streaming vs. theatrical release debate, Netflix in indeed a major player in modern entertainment, and Cursed would undoubtedly will be at the center of pop culture conversations upon its release.
More: Spielberg Is Wrong About Netflix (and His Crusade Could Hurt Theatrical Films)
Source: Netflix
