While it’s presumably never a bad time to be Stephen King, considering his long career, it looks like the golden age of screen adaptations of his work is upon us. Hot off the heels of IT‘s success and the announcement of a Pet Sematary remake, a new series will arrive showcasing his work. Castle Rock will premiere on Hulu, and draw heavily from the horror author’s mythos. The name of the show comes from a fictional town in Maine, the location of many of King’s novels. Cujo, The Dark Half, The Dead Zone, and Needful Things all take place in Castle Rock. The short story The Body does as well, better known by its film adaptation Stand By Me.
The horror series will focus on an attorney played by Andre Holland who returns to the town of Castle Rock to represent a prisoner. And who plays said prisoner? Why, Bill Skarsgard of course! Also known as Pennywise from IT. And is this prisoner locked up in any old prison? Of course not! He serves time at Shawshank, most famous for providing the setting for The Shawshank Redemption.
Evidentally the series will draw from a myriad of Stephen King tales. And he has certainly written enough to keep the series going for as long as it needs to. According to ScreenRant, the show will have its biggest connection to specific works through the character of Alan Pangborn. Scott Glenn plays the sheriff who makes appearances in both The Dark Half and Needful Things.
In addition to Bill Skarsgard, the cast includes Chosen Jacobs, another IT alum. Terry O’Quinn, Jane Levy, Melanie Lynsky, and Sissy Spacek, the original Carrie, also star. Produced by J.J. Abrams, the horror series will arrive on Hulu on July 25th, 2018.
