With their dad finally freed from his curse, the reunited Vanderhouven family continues working to undo the damage done by their greedy ancestors… but when dad doesn’t seem quite the same, they must come together as family to face a brand-new set of mysteries, both at home and abroad; debuts October 4 on Apple TV+.
Sometimes, in baseball, batters hit a home run on their first swing. And, on Jeff Dixon and Jim Cooper’s first project together, they knocked it out of the park.
This time last year, DreamWorks Animation released its 3DCG, spooky kids’ adventure series Curses!, the first of its kind for the studio, which centered on two kids – Pandora and Russ – and their mom Sky, who are trying to return artifacts, stolen by the family’s ancestors, to their rightful homes, thereby lifting a curse and freeing the children’s father Alex from his stone prison.
Nominated for Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Children for the episode "The Baboon Temple" at the 51st Annie Awards and nominated for Best Animated Series or TV Movie at the 4th Astra TV Awards, Curses! now enters its second season, releasing on Apple TV+ Friday, October 4.
In the newest chapter of the Vanderhouven family adventures, Alex has been freed and rejoins his family as they continue working to undo the damage done by their greedy ancestors. But when something about Alex doesn't seem quite right, the family must band together to solve the mysteries that confront them, both on the road and within the walls of Briarstone Manor. Check out the new season trailer:
The show is created, and executive produced by Jim Cooper (DreamWorks’ Dragons) and Jeff Dixon (The Hurricane Heist), with John Krasinski (A Quiet Place Parts I & II) also serving as executive producer and Allyson Seeger (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) as co-executive producer. Leo Riley (Guardians of the Galaxy, Tron: Uprising) is supervising producer, with Chris Copeland (Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts) and Justin Copeland (Wonder Woman: Bloodlines) serving as creative consultants.
Riley also directs, with animation services provided by CGCG and House of Cool.
Curses! is a unique venture for DreamWorks, one of the last studios to come to mind when thinking of a kids' horror series. But, according to Cooper and Dixon, the studio famous for hits like How to Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda has been incredibly supportive of the creators’ vision and rarely pushed back when the two tested the boundary lines of kids’ television, getting a feel for just how much they could get away with short of brain-eating zombies.
For Season 2, AWN chatted with Dixon and Cooper about what’s in store for viewers this time around, what new curses lie in wait, hidden horror Easter eggs, some of their favorite upcoming episodes and the heartwarming responses the series has been receiving thus far.
Victoria Davis: Here we are with a new season of Curses!, a show that is unlike anything a studio like DreamWorks has done before. How was the reception for Season 1?
Jeff Dixon: We couldn’t have been more excited about how much people really got into Season 1. We always set out to create something that was a perfect co-viewing experience, one for both kids and adults alike. So, it was ridiculously fulfilling to hear how much both sides of the coin really got into it.
One of our favorite things was getting photos from friends with their kids watching the show either half-hiding behind a blanket or snuggled in tight to their parents looking for some comfort. Kids were getting scared, but not too much. They were getting the Goldilocks “just right” balance of “fun scared” that we always set out to achieve.
Jim Cooper: What was extremely fun was the reaction we got from people within the studio itself. For most of production, we were unknown even within the walls of DreamWorks. It wasn’t until a couple weeks before we were released that we showed other DreamWorkers footage from the show and everyone was surprised. It was like we were this crazy experiment in what could be done with, and where we could take, family entertainment.
VD: Do you think the first season has changed the landscape of how kids/family animated series get made? Or at least has laid the groundwork for it?
JD: I don’t think we reinvented the wheel as far as how animated series get made. I just think we really leaned into not talking down to kids or protecting them with white cotton gloves. It’s okay for kids to be scared. In fact, it’s a good thing. Kids like to feel challenged. I hope people in the industry continue that thinking.
JC: During the making of Season 1, the big question was always “How far can we push the horror?” Because there hadn't been anything out in the market with our kind of tone before. So, it was a very unknown factor. We would push for making moments scary, but no one really knew where the line was because there wasn’t much in the way of previous gateway horror in animation. We couldn’t really use comps in finding the guideposts. With the first season under our belts, we felt like we had a good idea of what worked and what didn’t. So that was very helpful in forging a path. Ideally, it will also help everyone else who continues after us.
VD: You stated last year in another interview with AWN for Season 1 that this all started with Cooper’s family curse and how that idea was incorporated into the show. Are there any other familial inspirations that helped fuel the story of Season 2?
JC: Yes. But it’s less from the two of us EP’s and more from the rest of the writer’s room. Because Jeff and I created the show and wrote half of the first season’s episodes, it was obviously very much our perspective on things. But for Season 2, we really wanted the other writers to take as much ownership as possible. So, we implored them to tell us what stories they wanted to tell. And they really came through. Many of the story ideas came from their personal lives and backgrounds, as well as many of the themes, be it inspired by their or their parents’ countries of origin, like Australia and India, or about stories of Black cowboys in the Old West. One episode deals with the personal doubts we all have, and the writer really dug deep into their own insecurities. Man, it was almost therapy!
JD: Season 2 goes into some… interesting territory. What we really wanted to lean into this season was the new dynamic now that dad has returned. The mom and kids became a well-oiled machine while trying to save him, so the interesting issues became how dad fits in now that he’s back in the picture. We wanted to lean into his feelings of feeling out of place, or even a little left behind. It’s something we all have felt one time or another.
JC: That also begged the question “What are the long-term effects of having been cursed?” I mean, that can’t be healthy for you.
VD: DreamWorks was supportive from the beginning of you two creating something completely different from other shows regarding animation and aesthetic. Are you pushing boundaries even more with Season 2 as far as art and design goes?
JD: Oh yeah. We always tried to push every boundary we could. We’d basically push all the way until our supervising director/producer Leo Riley, or our art director David Chung, came back to us with, “Guys, we just can’t do that.” We were astonished by how far we’d get before that finally happened.
We have some really big ideas this season, and some really big sets and set pieces. I think we made it as far as Episode 7 this season where we finally got the “that’s too much” response. But it’s amazing how much we really were able to do with our resources. Leo and David are geniuses. And pretty much everyone at DreamWorks was incredible with what we pulled off. The boundaries were definitely pushed to the brink.
JC: We really examined each episode and the entire season arc, making sure that we were breaking new ground with the stories and not going over previously visited themes and ideas; that each subsequent episode built upon the previous and not merely repeated it. On the design side, we tried to incorporate that philosophy as well. In fact, we wanted to make sure that the assets we created for each episode weren’t just viewed as “one and done” props, but actually worked together to build something bigger. This resulted in us being able to build this season to a huge crescendo and create this really big finale, especially for a TV budget.
VD: The illustrative style lends itself to a lot of detail. Are there any hidden gems in the backgrounds or character designs that the team added in that are almost like little Easter eggs for you all? Or are there small details you’re proud of that people should look out for in the new season?
JD: Are you kidding? There are a ton. We love that kind of stuff. Although, part of the fun is finding those yourself. I’m an insane horror fan, as are a lot of others who worked on the show, so there are a lot of nods to that world. I will say only this one nugget. Characters Stanley and Larry have a very interesting backstory that we’ve never discussed on the show. But if you pay close attention in the Ottoman Ship Helm episode, there are a few subtle hints about their previous connection.
JC: Honestly, every piece of artwork in the show I find to be a not-hidden-at-all-gem. I was so excited about each piece that the art department put out, I literally printed almost all of them and pinned them to the walls around the office. I was like a dad proudly hanging their kid’s artwork up on the fridge. Not only are they great pieces of art, but the level of detail in them is crazy.
I mean, our team did the research. There are episodes with ancient Ottoman sailors, Indian puppets, native Australian musical instruments and Babylonian stone carvings. Our crew did the research, found the historically correct examples, and created beautiful art that is also functional. So, I would tell the audience that if there is something in the show that catches their eye, go research it. It probably really exists.
VD: What were some of the biggest challenges with this new season?
JD: We knew that we wanted to have a season-long mystery this time around. The first season's main arc revolved around everyone knowing what was going on and trying to figure out that puzzle. This season, there’s a larger season-long puzzle that the family, and the viewers, don’t actually know and have to figure out along the way. The main challenge was trying to keep the mystery alive while not being too confusing. How do you drop clues that adults may be able to figure it out, but kids wouldn’t be too confused by. It was definitely a balance that required some finesse.
VD: What are some of the new curses we’re encountering this season? Any you’re particularly excited for viewers to see?
JD: The “Salt Lantern” episode is a fun one since it deals with reanimating skeletons. I always wanted to do something with zombies, but that got a bit too aggressive for some younger viewers, so we landed on skeletons. Anything with skeletons makes me happy. Also, puppets are always creepy to me, so watch out for the “Rajasthani Puppet” episode for sure. And the “Ottoman’s Ship’s Helm” is so massive in scale. Oh, and... well, never mind. I’m about to list them all. So, let’s just say all of them. All the episodes. I love this season so much.
JC: My favorites shift around constantly. But if I had to pick one, I would go with the first episode of the season. A cursed salt lantern that can control the undead. Going into the adventure, Alex thinks he knows what this curse-breaking stuff is all about. But he quickly discovers that his kids are much bigger experts on the subject than he is. You know how you were asking if our personal lives crept into the stories? Well, that right there hits really close to home for me!
Victoria Davis is a full-time, freelance journalist and part-time Otaku with an affinity for all things anime. She's reported on numerous stories from activist news to entertainment. Find more about her work at victoriadavisdepiction.com.
