The Witcher‘s first season overcame middling reviews to become an audience favorite, ending up as one of the most popular Netflix Originals ever. For many, it filled a Game of Thrones-shaped hole in their viewing schedules, with the combination of extreme violence, lots of sex and cool dragons pushing all the right buttons. Now, it seems Netflix’s next big fantasy show Cursed might also prove to be a smash-hit.
Based on a novel illustrated by The Dark Knight Returns and Sin City‘s Frank Miller and written by Thomas Wheeler, Cursed is an Arthurian tale that’s a kind of origin story for the Lady in the Lake. One day she’ll pass the sword Excalibur to Arthur, making him the true king. For now, though, she’s Nimue, a young woman granted the power of Excalibur who seems set to kick ass all over the kingdom. I guess the ‘cursed’ in the title is that one day she must permanently reside in the lake, choosing who to grant the power of the sword to.
We got our first full look at Cursed yesterday, and it seems to be very much in the gritty, violent mold of other modern fantasy shows. So, will it be as popular as The Witcher? Well, working against it is that Cursed doesn’t have the in-built fanbase of The Witcher, which could at least rely on fans of the games and books watching it. It also doesn’t have bonafide movie star Henry Cavill in the lead role, though 13 Reasons Why, Avengers: Endgame and Knives Out star Katherine Langford is on a sharp upward trajectory career-wise.
Beyond that, with The Witcher‘s second season delayed due to Coronavirus, viewers may be tuning in as Cursed will be the only fantasy game in town when it airs. It certainly looks like it could be another massive hit for the platform then, and with the first season set to premiere on July 17th, we’ll find out soon enough if that’s the case.