Before mythological spotlight.
Netflix snapped up the rights to Wheeler’s Miller-illustrated fantasy novel Cursed even before it hit shelves late last year, and now it’s ready to give us a look at an Arthurian epic where Arthur himself is just a supporting player. Cursed instead follows Nimue, the magical young woman destined to become the fabled Lady of the Lake and guardian of the legendary sword Excalibur. Except this time around, the quest to wield the legendary blade and find the wizard Merlin falls upon her shoulders, rather than Arthur’s. Here, Arthur is a mercenary tasked with helping Nimue after her mother’s death sets the young woman on a quest to save her kingdom from the corrupt King Uther and his Red Paladins.
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In Netflix’s 10-part series, also showrun by Wheeler (The Cape, Dora and the Lost City of Gold), Katherine Langford will play Nimue, with Devon Terrell and Gustaf SkarsgÃ¥rd (Vikings) joining her in the main cast as Arthur and Merlin, respectively. And…turns out it just looks like a lot of Arthurian fantasy, except this time a female hero is at the centre of it! That’s nice, although not entirely an original idea, either. Here’s a first look gallery:
What Cursed will do to set itself apart from the swath of sword and sorcery sagas we have in this post-Game of Thrones world”even on the streamer itself, riding off the back of recent adult and family-focused fantasy shows like The Witcher and The Letter for the King“beyond its centering on a female protagonist remains to be seen.
But if you’re looking for more magic, questing, and shiny swords, you’ll be sorted when Cursed hits Netflix sometime this winter.