CURS>R - What We Know So Far

Netflix is expanding its original horror film catalog with a new video game-themed thriller flick. Following the success of its three-week consecutive releases of the "Fear Street" trilogy films, the streaming service is continuing to acquire new content within the genre.

Deadline has just reported that Netflix bought the world rights to "CURS>R," which recently wrapped production, from the Cannes virtual market. "CURS>R" centers on a college dropout who is cursed by a video game. The film must have been highly sought after amongst distributors, as it's also reported that Netflix paid a steep seven-figure price to gain access to the world rights. "CURS>R" is directed by Toby Meakins, a short film writer and director making his directorial debut for a feature film. The screenplay was written by Simon Allen, whose other writing credits include the BBC police drama "The Watch."

With Netflix's high rights price, as well as the intriguing premise, the buzz surrounding "CURS>R" is rapidly growing among horror fans and general cinephiles alike. Here's everything we know so far about the film, including the release date, cast, and plot.

As of now, there is no release date announced yet for "CURS>R." What we do know, however, is that filming has already wrapped. With this in mind, it likely won't be too much longer until we hear from Netflix about when they're planning to release the film. Perhaps we could see it drop sometime in 2022.

Regardless, the film will be worth the wait — at least according to the producers involved. John Zois, of Anton Corp, said in a statement, "Toby is a visionary in the horror space with an innate genius for both original storytelling and the stark, eerie palates he creates on screen. Simon, Toby, and Matt have worked to create something uniquely thrilling for horror fans" (via Film Stories). Stigma Films' Matthew James Wilkinson also showed plenty of enthusiasm, stating, "Incredibly excited to be working on such an original and terrifying concept as CURS>R – taking modern horror and twisting it to pit our hero against 80s nostalgia! Simon, Toby, and I have enjoyed working with Anton to bring this idea to the screen."

Another reason to be excited for "CURS>R" is its cast list, which boasts a mix of familiar and new faces. Leading the film is Iola Evans, a relative newcomer to Hollywood. She has just a few credits to her name so far, the most notable being a two-episode arc on the CW sci-fi drama "The 100." Evans is joined by "Sex Education" star Asa Butterfield and "Ray Donavon" actor Eddie Marsen. And rounding out the main cast is veteran actor Robert Englund. Englund is somewhat of a horror film legend, having depicted serial killer Freddie Krueger in "A Nightmare on Elm Street" beginning in 1984.

The supporting cast includes Kate Fleetwood (aka Mary Cattermole in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"), Ryan Gage ("The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" and "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies"), Angela Griffin ("Harlots," "Dun Breedin'"). Additionally, Hollywood newcomers Ioanna Kimbook and Joe Bolland have been cast.

"CURS>R" will center on Kayla, a college dropout who is desperately in need of some cash, as per the official synopsis reported by Deadline. In her pursuit of money, she decides to begin playing an obscure survival video game from the 1980s, hoping to win the unclaimed $125,000 prize. However, as a result of playing the game, Kayla finds herself cursed and has no choice but to face "dangerous choices and reality-warping challenges." After the initial few terrifying instances, "she realizes she's no longer playing for the money, but for her life."

Not much else is known about the cast and characters, outside of the official synopsis, so we'll likely have to wait for a trailer to drop to find out more information. In terms of central themes, we know from producer Matthew James Wilkinson's statement that the plot will tackle "'80s nostalgia" intertwined with modern-day horror. Additionally, screenwriter Simon Allen referred to "CURS>R" as a "weird, wild horror" film in a tweet announcing that Netflix had picked up the film, so we can likely expect a unique addition to the genre.