Names like J.J. Abrams and Stephen King carry a lot of weight by themselves, so when you put the two together in a sentence, it will automatically make any cinephile’s ears perk up. That is exactly what happened to me when I read that the two would be collaborating on a new Hulu original series called Castle Rock which will revolve around the fictional town which is the setting for many of King’s stories. My confidence in a series that has not even released a promotional clip may seem a little premature, but I have history on my side; allow me to explain.
It seems as if everything J.J. Abrams touches turns to gold, there is no disputing that, so there is no reason to believe that Castle Rock will be any different. Abrams has experience with every genre imaginable, which will most likely make the show genre-bending versus just another horror anthology. Given his recent successes, he also brings some clout to the project, which will probably mean a built-in audience.
Then there is King. His book to screen track record isn’t perfect but, apart from Maximum Overdrive, that is not his fault. There is no denying that he is the undisputed King (get it?) of the horror novel so even his input on the project will be invaluable. Given the fact that the show is about a town that was born out of King’s mind, I am sure that he will have a lot of creative input into the project.
Apart from the above, there is little that we know so far about the series. What little information we do have claims that the show will initially run for a single 10-episode season but it is labeled as an “ongoing show” which means that it will be picked up for more seasons if it proves to be popular. The rumor is that it will follow a new cast of characters every season with a few characters from previous seasons weaving their way through the stories.
The show sounds to be a perfect marriage of American Horror Story and Stranger Things. It may teeter on the edge of definition for an anthology series, but I think that is what we will call it until proven otherwise. All I know is that the Tales from the Crypt reboot better come fast because it is looking at some major competition with a show like this.
I will be shocked if this series does not kick total ass. It hasn’t even begun filming yet, and it is already starting to generate significant buzz. It is an exciting new chapter in the Stephen King saga and one that promises to continue his legacy while putting another notch in Abrams’ belt. Hopefully, the buzz that the show has picked up so far will fast track the show or at least encourage the people behind the scenes to feed us a little more information about the show. I doubt any new information is going to change my opinion about the upcoming show, so I will go on record as saying that this show will be Stranger Things quality if not better.