Steven Yeun Lands Lead in Netflix's 'Pagans'
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- Steven Yeun is set to lead Netflix's supernatural drama "Pagans," playing a man who becomes sole caretaker of his two children after the tragic loss of his wife, with a strained father-daughter relationship that "evolves into something far more sinister."
- "Pagans" was originally announced with a straight-to-series order last year in a competitive situation, with Joshua Zetumer ("Say Nothing") attached as creator, showrunner, and executive producer.
- Drew Goddard, Sarah Esberg, Jonathan van Tulleken, Erica Kay, Christina Oh, and Yeun himself also executive produce, with Goddard and Esberg producing through Goddard Textiles and Yeun and Oh through Celadon Pictures.
- Yeun previously starred in Netflix's hit "Beef" Season 1 alongside Ali Wong, winning the Emmy and Golden Globe for best actor in a limited series and sharing in "Beef's" Emmy win for best limited series.
- Yeun's Netflix resume also includes the films "The Rip" and Bong Joon Ho's "Okja," plus voice work on the animated series "Tuca & Bertie."
- Yeun is known for six seasons on "The Walking Dead," currently voices the lead in Amazon's animated series "Invincible," and received an Oscar nomination in 2021 for his lead role in "Minari"; he is repped by CAA and Hansen Jacobson.
Why it matters: The casting reunites Yeun with Netflix four years after his Emmy-winning "Beef" turn, reinforcing the streamer's willingness to build prestige dramas around him. The competitive straight-to-series order — rare for a genre project — signals Netflix sees "Pagans" as a tentpole supernatural thriller rather than a modest genre bet.
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