Warrior Nun (TV series)

Warrior Nun is an American fantasy drama television series created by Simon Barry based on the comic book character Warrior Nun Areala by Ben Dunn. Developed as a feature film adaptation, the idea was re-imagined as a television series for Netflix when the service had given the production a series order for a first season. Filming takes place in multiple locations in Andalusia, Spain, such as Antequera, where the headquarters of the fictional Order of the Cruciform Sword was filmed.

The series is narrated and led by Portuguese actress Alba Baptista in the role of Ava Silva, a quadriplegic orphan who discovers she now has supernatural powers which force her to join an ancient order of warrior nuns. The series marks Baptista's English-language debut. The cast also features Toya Turner, Thekla Reuten, Lorena Andrea, Kristina Tonteri-Young, Sylvia De Fanti and Tristán Ulloa.

The series premiered on July 2, 2020, to generally positive reviews. It ran for two seasons but was cancelled by Netflix in December 2022. On August 15, 2023 a revival as a trilogy of feature films was announced.

Premise
Warrior Nun revolves around the story of a 19-year-old who wakes up in a morgue with a new lease on life and a divine artifact embedded in her back. She discovers she is now part of the ancient Order of the Cruciform Sword that has been tasked with fighting demons on Earth, and powerful forces representing both heaven and hell want to find and control her.

Main

 * Alba Baptista as Ava Silva
 * Isabella Tabares portrays a young Ava (guest season 1)
 * Toya Turner as Sister Mary / Shotgun Mary (season 1)
 * Lorena Andrea as Sister Lilith
 * Kristina Tonteri-Young as Sister Beatrice
 * Tristán Ulloa as Father Vincent
 * Thekla Reuten as Jillian Salvius
 * Sylvia De Fanti as Mother Superion (season 2; recurring season 1)
 * Isabel M. Hernanz portrays a young Mother Superion (guest season 2)
 * William Miller as Adriel (season 2; recurring season 1)

Recurring

 * Olivia Delcán as Sister Camila
 * Emilio Sakraya as JC (season 1)
 * May Simón Lifschitz as Chanel (season 1)
 * Charlotte Vega as Zori (season 1)
 * Dimitri Abold as Randall (season 1)
 * Peter de Jersey as Kristian Schaefer
 * Joaquim de Almeida as Cardinal / Pope Francisco Duretti
 * Lope Haydn Evans as young Michael Salvius (season 1)
 * Jack Mullarkey as adult Michael Salvius / Miguel (season 2)
 * Meena Rayann as Yasmine Amunet (season 2)
 * Richard Clothier as Cardinal William Foster (season 2)
 * Sadiqua Binum as Sister Dora (season 2)

Guest

 * Melina Matthews as Sister Shannon Masters
 * Fred Pritchard as Diego (season 1)
 * Frances Tomelty as Sister Frances (season 1)
 * Kay Headley as Villa Owner (season 1)
 * Guiomar Alonso as Areala de Cordoue
 * Alberto Ruano as Mateo (season 1)
 * Sinead MacInnes as Sister Crimson (season 1)
 * Oscar Foronda as the Crusader Knight (season 1)
 * Julius Cotter as the Archbishop of Canterbury (season 2)
 * Christian Stamm as Cardinal Gunter (season 2)
 * Miquel Ripeu as Cardinal Rossi (season 2)
 * Andrea Tivadar as Reya (season 2)

Development
On September 28, 2018, it was announced that Netflix had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes. Simon Barry was set to serve as showrunner for the series. Barry is also credited as an executive producer alongside Stephen Hegyes with Terri Hughes Burton serving as a co-executive producer for the series. Production companies involved with the series are Barry's Reality Distortion Field and Fresco Film Services. The series premiered on July 2, 2020. On August 19, 2020, Netflix renewed the series for a second season. On December 13, 2022, it has been announced that the series has been canceled after two seasons.

Casting
Sometime after the series order announcement, it was confirmed that Alba Baptista, Toya Turner, Tristan Ulloa, Thekla Reuten, Kristina Tonteri-Young, Lorena Andrea, and Emilio Sakraya would star in the series. On April 1, 2019, it was announced that Sylvia De Fanti had joined the cast as a series regular. On October 18, 2021, Meena Rayann, Jack Mullarkey and Richard Clothier joined the cast as recurring roles for the second season.

Filming
Filming for the first season took place on location of Andalusia (Spain), in the town of Antequera (where the headquarters of the Order of the Cruciform Sword is located) Marbella, Ronda, Málaga, and Sevilla, from March 11, 2019 to July 5, 2019. The El Tajo Gorge was featured in one of the scenes. Pre-production for the second season began in late May 2021 and filming began in late July 2021 in Madrid, Spain. Production for the second season wrapped up on November 4 in Spain.

Release
On June 17, 2020, Netflix released the official trailer for the series, and the first season was released on July 2, 2020. The second season was released on November 10, 2022.

Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, season 1 has an approval rating of 68% based on 34 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Though Warrior Nun heavy handed set-up weighs it down, committed performances and excellent fight choreography may be enough for those looking for more pulp with their pulpit." On Rotten Tomatoes, season 2 has an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from 11 critics. On Metacritic, the show has a weighted average score of 62 out of 100, based on reviews from 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Roxana Hadadi of The A.V. Club wrote: "The script can sometimes lean too much on mythological and religious exposition... but the actors have such good chemistry that their various pairings work, and the smartly choreographed fight scenes are well-placed." Hadadi said that "Warrior Nun is undoubtedly familiar" influenced by the likes of Veronica Mars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Alex Garland's Devs, but that when the show really clicks it becomes "its own distinct experience rather than simply a derivative facsimile of those inspirations." She praised the performances, particularly Toya Turner as Shotgun Mary, and gives the show a grade B−. Nicole Drum of ComicBook.com gave the review 3 out of 5, and wrote: "Warrior Nun is a truly wild journey that manages to ask some tough questions while equally embracing its silliness, its action, and the absolute absurdity of it all. The show may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is one hell of a fun ride."

While the majority of critics praised the choreography of the series, some took issue with the pacing of the plot and the extensive exposition of the plot. Robyn Bahr, of The Hollywood Reporter notes, "Thematically, Warrior Nun is nothing you haven't seen before, and aesthetically, nothing you ever want to see again... Bleak, dour and trudging, the series contains none of the kitschy, blasphemous fun of its title." Critic Steve Murray notes that Warrior Nun has "both potential and problems in equal measure"; supposing that the series is trying to recreate the feel of Buffy the Vampire Slayer but with less witty dialogue and creativity.

Reviewing season 2, Paul Tassi of Forbes wrote: "The series has brutal, surprisingly great action, a meaningful central romance and unexpectedly biting commentary on religion."

Cancellation and film
On December 13, 2022, creator Simon Barry revealed on Twitter that Netflix would not be renewing Warrior Nun for a third season, thanking the fans for the love showed to the cast and production team. Fans responded on social media, with many seeing the decision as part of a trend of discontinuing female-led shows with queer representation, known colloquially as the trope "Cancel Your Gays". Within days a grassroots fan-led campaign began to advocate for the reversal of the cancellation and renewal of the show, or for Netflix to sell the rights of the show to another streaming platform. A fan created petition on Change.org was set up in response to the cancellation by Netflix and as of January 15, 2023, has gained over 123,000 signatures.

Paul Tassi of Forbes wrote: "Netflix Cancels 'Warrior Nun,' Its Highest Audience-Scored Series Ever, For Reasons". Tassi pointed out that "Warrior Nun is a unique case in that Season 2 is the singular best-scored season of a show in Netflix history, according to Rotten Tomatoes metrics." Mike Bedard of Looper.com suggested that "there are very good reasons why other streamers would be wise to give "Warrior Nun another shot." In response to the fan-led campaign to bring the show back, Bedard said "For another streamer to pick it up would be a no-brainer. It would be an instant way to build up some good karma amongst fans and could even lead to new subscribers, which is what all these platforms need to finally turn a profit."

Barry stated on June 28, 2023, that the series had been revived, crediting the fan support in helping making it happen. Netflix was not involved in its revival. Barry posted a link to the website WarriorNunSaved.com showing a countdown to August 15, 2023. Executive producer Dean English confirmed on August 15 that the storyline of the series would continue in a trilogy of feature films and also teased a universe based on the series.