TV
Shudder Will Explore More “Cursed Films” With a Second Season
Shudder has announced today that Jay Cheel‘s docu-series “Cursed Films” will be back for a second season, exploring more real-life tales of alleged horror movie curses.
“Cursed Films” explores the facts and legends around iconic films and franchises whose casts and crews have been struck by misfortune and tragedy. The first season examined The Omen, Poltergeist, The Exorcist, The Crow and Twilight Zone: The Movie.
Season two, now in production and set to premiere in 2021, will turn its focus to a new group of “cursed” films whose titles will be revealed at a later date.
“Season one of Cursed Films captivated audiences with its thoughtful but unflinching exploration of the often tragic events surrounding some of history’s most notorious productions, becoming an instant hit for us and earning rave reviews from both critics and viewers. Since its debut, the number one question we’ve been asked is: Will there be more, and how soon? We’re delighted to say that we’re partnering with Jay once again for a second season of Cursed Films that will be even bigger and better than the first,” said Craig Engler, Shudder’s General Manager.
“Filming season one of Cursed Films was an amazing experience, so I’m thrilled to have the chance to interview a new group of talented filmmakers and film critics while exploring the stories behind five more legendarily ill-fated film productions. This time around we’ll be heading outside of North America for a few episodes, which will not only widen the scope of the series but offer an exciting collection of stories connected to a diverse group of movies,” said Cheel.
“We’re thrilled to be on board for the second season of Cursed Films and to be working with Jay and Shudder. We can’t wait to dive into the fascinating stories behind these films and see where Jay’s bold vision and creative approach takes us this season,” said executive producers Jonas Prupas and Courtney Dobbins.
“Cursed Films” features conversations with cast and crew who were there to witness these tragedies firsthand—and bear the weight of them to this day—along with writers, scholars and experts. The show debuted in April as the second most-watched series premiere in Shudder history, behind only breakout hit Creepshow. “Cursed Films” also stands as the service’s most-watched documentary premiere (series or film) ever.
Season two will be written, directed and edited by Jay Cheel (How to Build a Time Machine) and executive produced by Jonas Prupas and Courtney Dobbins from Muse Entertainment, along with Jay Cheel and Brian Robertson from Low End.
One of the best new series of the year, Apple TV’s hit series “Widow’s Bay”, is also now an Emmy nominee in multiple categories.
The 78th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will be hosted by Mariska Hargitay and will air live on September 14 on NBC, streaming on Peacock, and nominations were announced this morning. Jeff Hiller, who plays government employee Dale in the series, was on hand to deliver the announcements.
“Widow’s Bay” has officially been nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series. Lead star Matthew Rhys has been nominated for an Emmy Award for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for “Widow’s Bay”.
Dale Dickey and Kate O’Flynn have both earned noms for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Also earning a nomination is Stephen Root for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Betty Gilpin earns a nom for Comedy Guest Actress while Hamish Linklater lands a spot on the Comedy Guest Actor list.
But wait. There’s more.
The Emmy nominations for “Widow’s Bay” also include:
- Production Design for Narrative Program (Half-Hour)
- Casting for Comedy Series
- Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour)
- Directing for a Comedy Series – Hiro Murai
- Editing for a Single-Camera Comedy Series – Isaac Hagy
- Editing for a Single-Camera Comedy Series – Kyle Reiter
- Editing for a Single-Camera Comedy Series – Jen Bryson
- Music Composition for a Series
- Music Supervision
- Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour)
- Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour)
- Writing for a Comedy Series
That’s 19 total nominations. All of it well deserved.
Daniel Kurland wrote in his “Widow’s Bay” review for Bloody Disgusting, “Season One makes a perfect first impression, and its debut is strong enough that viewers will want to set up permanent residency there. There’s an excellent sense of storytelling, character development, and an engaging mystery that’s strengthened through pitch-perfect horror and comedy.
The series takes place in a quaint island town 40 miles off the coast of New England and follows the town’s mayor as he attempts to revitalize the community despite a very pesky curse that unleashes horror of all varieties.
Season one is directed and executive produced by Emmy Award-winner Hiro Murai (“Barry“, “Atlanta”). Murai helms five of the 10-episode season, in addition to directors Ti West (The X Trilogy, “Them”), Sam Donovan (“Severance”), and Andrew DeYoung (Friendship).
The inaugural season wrapped last month and has already been renewed for season two.
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