| Curses! | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Animation Adventure Horror Comedy Action |
| Created by | Jim Cooper Jeff Dixon[1] |
| Voices of |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Jim Cooper Jeff Dixon |
| Producers | John Krasinski Leo Riley |
| Production companies | DreamWorks Animation Television Sunday Night |
| Original release | |
| Network | Apple TV+ |
| Release | October 27, 2023 – present |
Curses! is a adventure streaming television series produced by DreamWorks Animation and second generation films for Apple TV+.[2][3]
When a family curse turned Alex Vanderhouven to stone, it's up to his two kids and wife to return all the stolen artifacts by their ancestors to their rightful homes to finally lift the curse for good.[4][5]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Restricted Wing" | Leo Riley | Jim Cooper & Jeff Dixon | October 27, 2023 |
| 2 | "The Golden Baboon Head" | Daniel Lafrance | Jim Cooper & Jeff Dixon | October 27, 2023 |
| 3 | "The Baboon Temple" | Leo Riley | Jim Cooper & Jeff Dixon | October 27, 2023 |
| 4 | "The Olmec Babies" | Daniel Lafrance | Jim Cooper & Jeff Dixon | October 27, 2023 |
| 5 | "The Scryer Ball" | Daniel Lafrance | Khaila Amazan | October 27, 2023 |
| 6 | "The Japanese Painting" | Daniel Lafrance | Dimitry Pompée | October 27, 2023 |
| 7 | "The Celtic Cloak" | George Gipson | Ami Boghani | October 27, 2023 |
| 8 | "The Memory Box" | Daniel Lafrance | Jim Cooper & Jeff Dixon | October 27, 2023 |
| 9 | "The Aztec Necklace" | Daniel Lafrance | Ami Boghani | October 27, 2023 |
| 10 | "The Ruby Hourglass & the Obsidian Sphere" | George Gipson | Dimitry Pompée | October 27, 2023 |
On September 15, 2023, it was announced by Apple TV+ had ordered an animated series from DreamWorks Animation Television.[9]Apple TV+ announced a fun-filled autumn slate if all-new kids and family programming, featuring both CG and stop-motion animation.[10] The first season will consist of ten episodes each with 23 minutes.
The family-oriented series is created and executive produced by Jim Cooper (“DreamWorks Dragons”) and Jeff Dixon (“The Hurricane Heist”). John Krasinski (“A Quiet Place” Parts I & II) also serves as executive producer and Allyson Seeger (“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan”) as co-executive producer. Leo Riley (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Tron: Uprising”) is the supervising producer, with Chris Copeland (“Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts”) and Justin Copeland (“Wonder Woman: Bloodlines”) serving as creative consultants.[11]
In a review by Brian Kitson, he said (in his own words) "It’s clear that this series is aimed at a younger audience, so the utilization of this formula makes perfect sense. It’s easily accessible to children, for which predictability is important for better engagement. But as an adult, I didn’t feel tired of the series, in fact, and perhaps in spite of it, I loved every episode of this series. Whatever those behind the Curses! is doing, it’s definitely working, as they have another hit on their hands".[12]
Another review by Sam Stone at CPR.com said "It's a solid tonal mix between Indiana Jones and The Real Ghostbusters. And for those looking for a spooky show to share with the whole family this Halloween, Curses! certainly, fits the bill as Apple TV+ continues to expand its original animated and young audience-oriented programming".[13]
In AWN by Jeff Dixon, “As a massive fan of these EC Comics, I almost yelled at them to get out of my head! We knew we were onto something, but it was quite different from anything DreamWorks had ever done before. It was completely untested and very different from DreamWorks’ normal ‘house style.’ We had to break and alter long-existing pipelines, and DWA not only allowed us but was excited about the potential. They were amazing in allowing us to take some serious chances with brand new styles that were totally original for the company. I will eternally hold them in the highest regard for that.”
"This first season has everything – adventures around the world, frightening journeys into unknown caverns, scares you won’t see coming, mysterious characters from around the globe, dangers lurking around every corner, suspense not normally seen in children’s animation, and a creepy atmosphere that is unlike anything you’ve experienced. And a whole bunch of laughs, heart, and emotion as well."
Plugged In.com said that It's Not Foul, I But It is Magical; As you may have gathered, the TV-G Curses! is less about foul language and all about spiritual condemnations. Each item the family handles comes with its own mystical curse that’ll make returning the artifacts quite difficult.
One curse forces the family to deal with an angry and sentient golden baboon head. Another tells of Japanese evil spirits within a haunted painting. A third concerns a giant black widow spider, incantations and a necklace that gives the power of immortality. And, to top it off, the family often uses a scrying bowl, an object used to speak with dead spirits, hoping that they can find some insight into breaking the generational curse.
For those who’d like to not deal with these spiritual elements (and some of the creepy creatures that come along with them), this show isn’t for you. But for those who are still interested, the good news is that there isn’t much else in terms of content. Violence and death are ever-present threats in the show, but the TV-G rating leaves those as no more than threats.
The series uses curses as a way to compel the Vanderhouven family to return cultural artifacts they’ve stolen over the years—to right the wrongs their ancestors originally inflicted upon others. But just as they cause trouble for the Vanderhouven family, these curses may be more trouble than they’re worth for your family, too.[15]
