That’s all she wrote forCastle Rock, as Hulu has pulled the plug on the horror anthology series based on the works ofStephen Kingafter two seasons.
The news comes nearly a year after Season 2 premiered to disappointing ratings, only to be quickly forgotten amid a glut of anthology shows and limited series this year. And that’s the problem right there.Castle Rocknever really had much buzz, which was concerning given how popular King is with genre audiences these days. And yet, despite the well-known IP, I never once heard anyone say, “did you see what happened onCastle Rocklast night? It was wild!” You need word-of-mouth to cut through the current content clutter, and the show never quite got to that must-see level.
Season 1 was a hodge-podge of King tales that featured a cast includingAndre Holland,Bill Skarsgard,Melanie Lynskey,Jane LevyandSissy Spacek, while Season 2 took things in a different creative direction and tackledMisery, withLizzy Caplanplaying the role of Annie Wilkes, andTim Robbinsco-starring alongsideElsie Fisher.
Castle Rockmay have also been a victim of ownership, as the somewhat expensive show hails from Warner Bros. TV andJ.J. Abrams' Bad Robot, and like other streamers, Hulu wants to focus on owning its content. With that in mind, the streamer has embraced its new FX on Hulu strategy, having also recently cancelledHigh Fidelity,Harlots,RunawaysandFuture Man.
Fans ofCastle Rockmay very well follow Abrams to HBO Max, where he and Warner Bros. TV are re-teaming to produce a spinoff ofThe Shiningcentered around the Overlook Hotel– a setting that seemed to be teased at the end ofCastle Rock’s first season, though that story arc never materialized. Abrams previously executive produced Hulu’s acclaimed limited series11.22.63, which was based on King’s book about a man who travels back in time to prevent the assassination ofJFK.
Dustin ThomasonandSam ShawcreatedCastle Rockand served as showrunners, and while I think they had the right idea by going the anthology route, the show’s audience never justified its budget. These things happen, as do Election Day news dumps you hope fans won’t notice. Obviously, there are bigger things at stake tonight, so here’s hoping the future we wake up to isn’t a King-esque nightmare like something out ofCastle Rock. For more on the even-more-sadHigh Fidelitycancellation,click here.
