Castle Rock is a 2018 American anthology horror television series developed by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, Warner Bros TV and Hulu. Sam Shaw and Dusty Thomason are the main writers.
The series weaves together characters and themes from Stephen King’s novels – such as The Dead Zone, Cujo, The Dark Half, and Needful Things – set in the fictional Maine town of Castle Rock. Each season will follow a different set of characters and storylines while interjecting themes and specific characters from previous seasons.
Castle Rock stars Melanie Lynskey, Jane Levy, Bill Skarsgård (IT), Terry O’Quinn (The Stepfather), Scott Glenn, and Sissy Spacek (Carrie). The first episodes star Andre Holland as Henry, who:
“As a child was involved in an accident that left his father dead and him the sole suspect, but he has no memory of it and eventually fled when townspeople turned against him.
Now a death-row attorney with few connections — his clients, see, usually die — Henry only returned home because a mysterious inmate at Shawshank State Penitentiary (Bill Skarsgård), who was discovered in a cage deep beneath the facility, asked for him. Only him. Yet, Henry has never heard of the inmate — and the inmate, nicknamed “The Kid,” has been in solitary confinement so long that he may be insane.”
Reviews:
“People that want constant frights are going to be disappointed. Castle Rock is a moody, atmospheric experience that the series wants viewers to get lost in. Scares pop up to surprise and attack, but this is far from relentless horror. Castle Rock is interested in doing more than just frighten its audience.” Daniel Kurland, Bloody Disgusting
“I’ve got some 30+ years of jump-scare experience and Castle Rock still caught me off-guard, so prepare yourselves. And this is all in just the first four episodes! Castle Rock is a can’t-miss series for Stephen King fans and a must-watch horror show for fans of dark, thrilling, character-focused mysteries.” Dave Trumbore, Collider
” …Castle Rock is a quasi-remix of the second half of It: a dense, weird story about a few traumatized adults confronting the horrible past of a seemingly idyllic Maine town. But the series goes beyond anything King has written to offer a modernization (and a thoughtful re-imagining) of the fictional Maine town that has appeared in dozens of King’s stories.” Scott Meslow, GQ magazine
” …a string of small wormholes, offering countless references and digressions and themes to amuse and entertain devotees of the Master of Horror, but lacking in the broader storytelling spine necessary to establish its own identity. It’s all Easter eggs, no Easter dinner.” Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter
“For a show that could’ve been dominated by its origins, Castle Rock sure has a good time breathing new life into them. Smart, fun scares; deeply felt, well-founded characters; layers of story to decipher, along with the references — what more could you want in a new piece of the Stephen King library?” Ben Travers, IndieWire
“What does it really feel like to live in a place where supernatural horror plays out? Disappointingly, it seems pretty quotidian. Castle Rock will surely attract some die-hards, but, sketchily unfocused on the human scale, it is surprisingly inhospitable to casual visitors.” Daniel D’Adarrio, Variety
Release:
Season One begins on Hulu on July 25, 2018.