higher learning

THE LESSON PLAN FOR NETFLIX’S YA FANTASY FATE: THE WINX SAGA…

THINGS GET FIERY FAST

Fate: The Winx Saga is a six-part YA reimagining of an Italian animated series about Alfea, a magical boarding school in the ‘Otherworld’. The students are split between fairies, whose elemental powers are closely tied to their emotions, and the Specialists, whose fighting skills are essential in defending the kingdom from monsters and magical foes. Among the new intake of fairies is Bloom (Abigail Cowen), a 16-year-old born and raised in the human world, and whose failure to fully understand and control her fiery powers leads to tragedy. “Bloom grew up in the human world and never felt like she fitted in,” explains showrunner Brian Young. “In this school she finds a place where she belongs.”

IT GOES TO SCARY PLACES

“I saw a lot of myself in Bloom,” says Cowen of her first lead role. “I was very insecure at that age – every teen feels out of place and struggles to find themselves. We’ve all experienced emotions that can feel destructive or scary. It was nice to step back into that with what I know now.” Young adds, “The grand irony is that what scares you about yourself, what makes you different or feel ashamed, are the things that make you special. Ultimately, it’s a story about friendship.”

IT’S MORE GROUNDED THAN GRYFFINDOR

Early on, Bloom and water-fairy roomie Aisha (Precious Mustapha) consider their allegiances in the world of Harry Potter (Slytherin and Gryffindor, respectively). “The teen-drama genre has been done before,” admits Young. “We’ve tried to ground it, combining the pure fantasy world of magic and monsters with contemporary experience, where people are on social media all the time and dealing with familiar teenage shit. You don’t get a lot of high fantasy with cellphones!”

DOWNTON CONNECTION

Fate was shot in Ireland with a predominantly British cast, notably Downton Abbey’s Rob James-Collier as the tutor of the Specialists, and Eve Best as the school’s stern headmistress. “The show is a weird beast,” laughs Young. “Italian IP, American showrunner, British cast, Irish shoot… but bringing an American into a world of British actors gives you a shorthand for the fish-out-of-water story. With a show like this, it would be easy to devolve into silliness. It’s like Patrick Stewart in Star Trek, where a classically trained actor in a genre world grounds it immediately. All the ridiculousness melts away because you feel the reality in their voice and presence.”

FREAKED-OUT FANS

Both Cowen, who played orphaned Weird Sister Dorcas for three seasons of Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina, and Young, staff writer and exec on The Vampire Diaries, have encountered hardcore fanbases. “I told a friend about getting the role of Bloom and she freaked out!” laughs Cowen. “Those fans are so involved and supportive and loyal

– I hope I live up to her expectations…” Adds Young, “It’s a double-edged sword, you get real-time feedback about whether the show is landing, which influences the storytelling, even if you think it doesn’t. It’s a tricky balance: how much to engage with it without allowing it to dictate the show. Anybody who says they’re not at least monitoring it is a liar!” Gabriel Tate

FATE: THE WINX SAGA IS AVAILABLE ON NETFLIX ON 22 JANUARY