In recent weeks, I've stretched my streaming options thin. I've finished Ryan Murphy's Hollywood, cringed for eight-plus hours watching Too Hot to Handle, and, of course, binged every new (and old) movie Netflix has to offer. Enter: Cursed. It may not be HBO's Game of Thrones, but the streaming giant's latest conquest looks intriguing—and entertaining enough to fill all our binge-watching voids. Ahead, here's everything you need to know about Netflix's newest medieval fantasy series.
Cursed is based on the graphic novel of the same name.
The new show finds its story from the young adult graphic novel Cursed. The book was written by Tom Wheeler and illustrated by Frank Miller, who's known for his work on films like Sin City and 300. Both of them are executive producers on the series, with Wheeler also serving as showrunner.
As for the plot of the novel, it's a retelling of the legend of King Arthur. In the fabled tale, Arthur is the one who retrieves the sword, Excalibur, from the Lady of the Lake. But in Cursed, it's the Lady who ends up with the powerful weapon. (We stan a feminist twist.)
Cursed is going to be released on Netflix pretty soon.
Great news: Netflix announced an official premiere date and its going to be July 17. You can expect all 10 episodes of Cursed to hit the streaming service this summer.
Also, still freaking out over this promotional poster featuring the show's tagline: "What if the sword chose a queen?" Iconic!
The trailer for the show looks pretty epic.
The trailer is only two minutes, and it's given me enough goosebumps to last until 2021, so who knows what the show will accomplish.
The clip features the lead actress, Katherine Langford, traveling through like, all the four seasons, tasked to deliver a sword by her mother. "You are not some fragile maid. You are a warrior," says one of the characters in the preview. (AGAIN, GOOSEBUMPS.) The clip ends with her absorbing some of the powers from the sword and proceeding to wipe out two bad guys in front of her. I smell loads of medieval drama.
Katherine Langford leads the cast.
As if I couldn't be more excited, Langford of 13 Reasons Why and Knives Out fame is set to play the lead, Nimue. Langford announced that she was joining the cast in September of 2018 (yes, the show has been in the works for a long time). Newcomer Devon Terrell, who previously played a young Barack Obama in Barry, will take on the role of Arthur.
The rest of the Cursed cast features Gustaf Skarsgård (yes, his brother is Alexander Skarsgård) as Merlin. Daniel Sharman (Teen Wolf) will play the "Weeping Monk," Sebastian Armesto (Harlots) will play the part of King Uther Pendragon, and Lily Newmark (Sex Education) will star as Pym.
"I think first and foremost when casting for Cursed, Frank and I were looking for a mythological truth, actors who could bring the emotion and the humanity to legendary characters without losing the sense of elemental magic and epic stakes," Wheeler tells Entertainment Weekly. "Led by Katherine Langford, who is equal parts classic hero and sword-swinging badass, this extraordinary cast has brought such depth, commitment, and heart to this story. We can't wait to introduce them to audiences around the world."
What else do we know about Cursed?
While the trailer feels like a teaser, we do have photos to quench your thirst. And from these photos, we can't complain.
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