J.J. Abrams and Stephen King are teaming up once again for a television project, and this time, it will take inspiration from several of King's most iconic works, as well as his larger horror-verse.
Hulu officially ordered 10 episodes of "Castle Rock," named for the fictional Maine town setting of many King stories. Abrams will produce through his Bad Robot banner, as he did for Hulu's 2016 miniseries "11.22.63," which was based on King's novel of the same name.
The concept for "Castle Rock" is still a little vague, and the above cryptic teaser, released last week, didn't exactly provide clarity about its plot or structure. But Hulu has now released an official synopsis, which at least includes some references to many of the characters and themes that "Castle Rock" will likely address.
Here's how the streaming service describes the series:
A psychological-horror series set in the Stephen King multiverse, Castle Rock combines the mythological scale and intimate character storytelling of King's best-loved works, weaving an epic saga of darkness and light, played out on a few square miles of Maine woodland. The fictional Maine town of Castle Rock has figured prominently in King's literary career: 'Cujo,' 'The Dark Half,' 'IT' and 'Needful Things,' as well as novella 'The Body' [which inspired the film 'Stand by Me'] and numerous short stories such as 'Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption' are either set there or contain references to Castle Rock. Castle Rock is an original suspense/thriller — a first-of-its-kind reimagining that explores the themes and worlds uniting the entire King canon, while brushing up against some of his most iconic and beloved stories.
According to sources who spoke with The Hollywood Reporter, "Castle Rock" will likely be similar in structure to anthology series like "American Horror Story," with "Each season ... follow[ing] a different set of characters and storylines while interjecting themes and specific characters from previous seasons."
Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason, the creative team behind WGN series "Manhattan," will write and executive produce. No word yet on a premiere date, but King fans should be delighted by this intriguing news. Stay tuned.
[via: The Hollywood Reporter]