It’s no secret that Stranger Things pulled heavily from Stephen King or that the prolific author is basically king of creeping us all out. So if you’re biting your nails waiting for Stranger Things 3 or hit the movie theater three times to see It, get yourself ready for the launch of Castle Rock. This Hulu original series is not only based on the stories of Stephen King but also stars Bill Skarsgård once again bringing the scare factor.
So what can you expect from this new Hulu series? Avid Stephen King readers have a leg up on anticipating spoilers, but in the end the streaming service does have some creative license, so don’t get too comfortable even if you’ve read his entire oeuvre.
What you can expect from Castle Rock
Hulu’s bringing home the creep factor in the new original series. The series centers around the town depicted in several of Stephen King’s stories, from Cujo to The Dead Zone (its first appearance). But pretty much all you need to know about Castle Rock, the fictional place, is that its name comes from less-than-sunshiney Lord of the Flies, according to “The Stephen King story,” by George Beahm. Since that one’s required high school reading, we all know how well the story goes for the boys in William Golding’s novel.
Specifics are scarce right now, but a press release from the streaming service about it explained that the series “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.” But what you can really expect is a look at a place that’s not quite right. (You’ll see more of what we mean in the Castle Rock trailer, embedded below.)
That’s because Castle Rock is about, well, Castle Rock. This place is off. “Everyone’s got a theory about how it started, about Castle Rock’s original sin,” Dale Lacy, played by Lost’s Terry O’Quinn, says in the promo. “There’s blood in every backyard, inside every house.” And, judging by what you’ll see happening in the trailer, everyone is indeed guilty and no one can be trusted.
Meet the Castle Rock cast
We already spilled the beans on the big name that will get you excited about the series, but we’ll repeat it for good measure: Expect to see Bill Skarsgård once again bringing the creep factor that only Stephen King can write.
Expect to see André Holland as Henry Deaver, who returns to the Maine town and is “unsettled by the place he once called home.” You’ll also catch Sissy Spacek as Ruth Deaver, Jane Levy as Jackie and Melanie Lynskey as Molly Strand. Oh, and of course, Terry O’Quinn.
How many episodes will Castle Rock have?
Hulu seems to sense good things for the series because they ordered a 10-episode run of the new original series for its first season. Fingers crossed that will continue for many seasons in the future.
Watch the Castle Rock trailer
Get ready to feel like something’s about to go wrong. The trailer for Castle Rock is deeply unsettling. You’ll see plenty of hooded and masked figures, a suicide, a fair share of knife-wielding and quite a few dead bodies. Basically, you’re in for a bumpy ride from the start once Castle Rock launches on Hulu. For the full-out creeps, watch the trailer below:
Castle Rock release date
The Castle Rock premiere is coming up faster than you think. Expect to see Castle Rock season 1 episode 1 hit your Hulu content library on Wednesday, July 25. While you’re waiting for the Castle Rock release date, you might want to read some of the Stephen King books featuring Castle Rock as their location — you know, just to get a leg up on what to expect.
