Crossing Swords is an American adult stop-motion animated sitcom created by John Harvatine IV and Tom Root for Hulu. The series premiered on June 12, 2020. Six days after its premiere, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on December 10, 2021.
In June 2022, Harvatine IV announced that Hulu cancelled the series after two seasons.
Premise
Crossing Swords follows "Patrick, a goodhearted peasant who lands a coveted squire position at the royal castle. His dream job quickly turns into a nightmare when he learns his beloved kingdom is run by a hornet's nest of horny monarchs, crooks and charlatans. Even worse, Patrick's valor made him the black sheep in his family, and now his criminal siblings have returned to make his life hell. War, murder, full frontal nudity—who knew brightly colored peg people led such exciting lives?"
Cast and characters
Main
- Nicholas Hoult as Patrick, the main protagonist
- Luke Evans as King Merriman
- Alanna Ubach as Queen Tulip, Merriman's wife
- Adam Pally as Broth, Patrick's best friend and fellow knight
- Tara Strong as Coral, Patrick's pirate sister
- Strong also voices Trina Franklin, a plucky peasant girl
- Tony Hale as Blarney, Patrick's clown brother
- Adam Ray as Ruben, Patrick's bandit brother
- Seth Green as Blinkerquartz, the Castle's Wizard
- Breckin Meyer as Glenn, Patrick's father
- Wendi McLendon-Covey as Doreen, Patrick's mother
Recurring
- Yvette Nicole Brown as Sgt. Meghan, trainer of the knights
- Maya Erskine as Princess Blossom, Merriman and Tulip's spoiled daughter
- Ben Schwartz as Keefer, Blossom's (dead) boyfriend
- Rob Corddry as The Old King, Merriman's insane father whom he dethroned
- Jameela Jamil as Sloane, who is a maid in the castle and Patrick's love interest.
Guest
- Alfred Molina as Robin Hood, Ruben's rival (Episode: "Hot Tub Death Machine")
- Natasha Lyonne as Norah, a Yeti. (Episode: "The Snow Job")
- Jane Lynch as Donna
Episodes
Season 1 (2020)
Season 2 (2021)
Production
Development
On September 27, 2018, it was announced that Hulu had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. The series was created by John Harvatine IV and Tom Root who were also expected to serve as executive producers. The series was produced by Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and distributed by Sony Pictures Television. On June 18, 2020, Hulu renewed the series for a second season. On June 9, 2022, co-creator John Harvatine IV revealed the show was cancelled.
Casting
Alongside the series order announcement, it was confirmed that the series' voice cast would consist of Nicholas Hoult and Luke Evans, among others.
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds a 27% approval rating based on reviews from 15 critics. A top Rotten Tomatoes critic wrote, "What sets it apart is the adorable wooden character and set design, the quaintness of which is mercilessly defiled by filthy dialogue and visuals." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, gives it a score of 47 out of 100, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
References
External links
- Crossing Swords at IMDb
