Steven Yeun Lands Lead Role in Netflix Supernatural Drama 'Pagans'

Steven Yeun is set to lead Netflix's supernatural drama Pagans, reuniting the actor with the streamer behind his Emmy-winning turn in Beef.

The series was ordered straight to series — meaning Netflix skipped the usual pilot stage and committed to a full season outright — after a competitive situation in which multiple outlets vied for the project, according to Variety.

Pagans comes from creator Joshua Zetumer, who also serves as showrunner (the lead writer and day-to-day decision-maker on a television series). Zetumer created the recent drama Say Nothing. The story follows a man who becomes the sole caretaker of his two children after the tragic loss of his wife. His son is typical. His daughter, Alice, is anything but.

Behind the camera, the producing roster runs deep. Drew Goddard and Sarah Esberg executive produce through their company Goddard Textiles. Jonathan van Tulleken and Erica Kay also serve as executive producers. Yeun himself takes an executive producer credit alongside Christina Oh through their banner, Celadon Pictures.

For Yeun, the role adds another chapter to an already substantial Netflix relationship. He starred opposite Ali Wong in the first season of Beef, the dark comedy that became one of Netflix's most decorated limited series. Yeun won both the Emmy and the Golden Globe for best actor in a limited series for that performance, and he shared in Beef's Emmy win for best limited series.

His Netflix credits also include the films The Rip and Bong Joon Ho's Okja, and a voice role in the animated series Tuca & Bertie, which also featured Wong. Beyond the streamer, Yeun's career spans prestige and blockbuster alike: six seasons on The Walking Dead, an Oscar nomination in 2021 for his lead role in Minari, and roles in Nope, Mickey 17, and the critically acclaimed South Korean thriller Burning. He currently voices the lead character in Amazon's animated series Invincible.

No premiere date or episode count for Pagans has been announced. The series is the latest straight-to-series drama Netflix has bet on in the supernatural space, and it pairs a marquee lead with a creator coming off a well-received recent series.

For viewers, the promise is straightforward: a family story with a dark edge, built around a performer whose last Netflix role earned him television's top awards.