Frank Miller’s Arthurian Legend ‘Cursed’ is Heading to Netflix
Last week, it was announced that Frank Miller is teaming up with writer Tom Wheeler to create a young adult novel that will tell story behind the Lady of the Lake; a sorceress who exists in the tales of King Arthur. Cursed is the graphic novel’s working title and is set for a release date of autumn 2019. Despite still being very much in the early stages, Deadline are reporting that Netflix are so besotted with the whole concept that they have already signed-off on a 10-episode series.
The Lady of the Lake plays a pivotal role in many of the Arthurian legends; she gives Arthur the legendary sword of Excalibur and raises Lancelot after the death of his father – although in some versions of the story she kidnaps him from his home. Due to the fact that there is no official cannon of Arthurian tales, Miller and Wheeler should be able to have a lot of fun with the character, who they’re calling Nimue.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Miller explained how he wanted to unpack the complexities and layers of Nimue’s narrative identity:
“I have always been entranced by the mythological Arthur story—and by Nimue, in particular. It can be interpreted in any number of ways—from a delightful children’s story, as in The Sword in the Stone, to a terrifying interpretation like Excalibur. This tale represents an incredible opportunity and an exciting challenge for me as an illustrator, and I’m excited to collaborate on the story with Thomas Wheeler. I inherited a collection of antique children’s books from my mother, and I’ve always wanted to have a crack at it myself. This project is a dream come true.”
What’s unusual is that Deadline are also reporting that Miller and Wheeler will create the novel and work on Netflix’s show at the same time. We can’t really think of an occasion where a creative team has written a book and worked on its television adaptation simultaneously, although George R.R. Martin could well be going down that route with Winds of Winter!