The medieval fantasy Netflix series Cursed was canceled after one season, eliminating the possibility of a Cursed season 2. Cursed premiered in July 2020 with a 10-episode first season, but a year passed without any updates, leaving the series’ fate unknown. Then, in the aftermath of other cancelations that included four original comedy shows, Cursed also got the ax from Netflix, with its title becoming an ironic self-fulfilling prophecy. In season 1, Nimue (Katherine Langford) is shunned by her Fey village as she’s believed to be cursed, but in actuality, Nimue’s destined to become the magical Lady of the Lake.
Along the way, Nimue joins forces with a young King Arthur (Devon Terrell) on a quest to find Merlin (Gustaf Skarsgård) and deliver Excalibur. Given the widespread appeal of fantasy content in today’s streaming world and Netflix’s own prowess in the genre with shows like The Witcher, it comes as a bit of a surprise that Cursed was canceled so early. However, as unfortunate as Cursed‘s cancelation is, there are actually some logical reasons for it.
Why Netflix Canceled Cursed
Viewership & Budget Both Played A Role In Cursed Season 2’s Demise
Although the series’ idea was promising, Cursed season 2 was likely canceled because it didn’t live up to expectations and didn’t draw enough viewers compared to their other Netflix projects. On top of that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Netflix canceled a handful of series they had already renewed because they couldn’t put the shows into production, and there is always a stream of new shows and movies to produce.
Netflix had ordered the series before Miller and Wheeler’s book was even published.
It’s less about whether Netflix’s Cursed was popular and more about how popular it was compared to other shows, especially those with franchise potential. Netflix tends to cancel supernatural series that can potentially be more expensive to make with the sets, costumes, CGI, and more. Still, the cancelation of Cursed season 2 comes as a bit of a surprise for a show that did manage to secure a loyal following leading up to its release. Netflix had ordered the series before Frank Miller and Tom Wheeler’s book was even published, and the on-screen project became highly anticipated.
The fact that Netflix had secured Langford — a recognizable star from Netflix’s controversial teen drama 13 Reasons Why — to headline the cast of Cursed as Lady of the Lake seemed like a viable move. Upon the release of Cursed, rumors about a Merlin spinoff already began to circulate. But, after all the hype, Cursed only spent a few weeks on the platform’s top 10 charts, and the possibility of a spinoff appears doubtful now.
Will Cursed Season 2 Ever Happen?
Fans Campaigned On Social Media Using The Hashtag #S It Doesn’t Look Promising
In the aftermath of the news about Cursed, some loyal fans started campaigning for another streaming service to pick up the series, using the hashtag #SavedCursed on social media. However, the cast members were released from their contracts and are free to pursue other projects, which makes any return seem unlikely. Although there was content planned for Cursed season 2, and season 1 ended on a major (and literal) cliffhanger in which Nimue is shot and presumed dead, it seems that Netflix Cursed was canceled for good.
Miller and Wheeler have yet to create a sequel for their original hit.
Likewise, avid Cursed fans have only one book to turn to, as Miller and Wheeler have yet to create a sequel for their original hit. However, Wheeler did hint in an Instagram post on July 9, 2021, that another novel could be in the works. The Netflix Cursed series will probably never get a season 2, but it had a good run while it lasted, and several of the actors have taken to social media to express their gratitude for being a part of the project since its cancelation.
What Has Katherine Langford Done Since Cursed?
The Actor Has Remained Busy
|
Katherin Langford Selected Filmography |
|
|---|---|
|
Movie |
Role |
|
13 Reasons Why (2017-2018) |
Hannah Baker |
|
Love, Simon (2018) |
Leah Burke |
|
Knives Out (2019) |
Meg Thrombey |
|
Cursed (2020) |
Nimue |
|
Spontaneous (2020) |
Mara Carlyle |
|
Savage River (2022) |
Miki Anderson |
Despite the Cursed season 2 cancelation, Katherine Langford isn’t falling out of the spotlight any time soon. Directly after Cursed, she starred in the movie Spontaneous as Mara alongside Charlie Plummer. The unconventional teen horror dramedy saw Mara and Dylan (Plummer) in their senior year of high school when people around them start spontaneously combusting. In 2022, Langord starred in the lead role of Miki Anderson in the Aussie crime drama Savage River. The mystery series aired on ABC, with many praising her performance.
The season ended with Miki leaving town after everything thinks she committed a murder.
The show saw Miki return home from prison after 10 years, but the town wouldn’t forget her past so easily. The season ends with Miki leaving town after everything thinks she committed a murder, only to learn in the final episode that there was evidence that cleared her, and she was asked to stay. There is no word on whether Savage River will receive a second season.
How Cursed Season 1 Was Received
Reviews Were Mixed At Best
While fans wanted to see Cursed brought back for a second season, the reception was not the best for the Netflix series. On Rotten Tomatoes, critics were only slightly positive, sitting at 65% fresh. However, the audience score was a low 51%, showing that barely half the people watching the series actually enjoyed it. One negative audience reviewer wrote that there were “Too many storylines mixed in one season and the Pacing didn’t help at all due to it being slow.”
As for the negative critical reviews, when writing their review of the first season, Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter thought a second season could have improved things, writing, “I never was able to fully give myself over to Cursed, but I never really got bored and I think there’s a better show laying in wait for a second season.” Likewise, Brian Lowry of CNN wrote the series “puts [expected trappings] together in a fairly tiresome way. It’s not bad, exactly, just lifeless.”
However, there are some critics who enjoyed what they saw, although many of the positive reviews had backhanded praise. When praising the movie for Salon, critic Melanie McFarland wrote, “Turn off your brain, and Cursed is fun and more evenly paced than other recent genre debuts. But at best, it feels like a small plate meant to keep our bellies full until we get a new season of The Witcher.” Sadly, comparing Cursed to The Witcher was the biggest problem for most people.
