Here's Everything We Know About "Castle Rock" So Far

"For the first time in a very long time, I called out to my TV to tell someone to not go where they were about to go." —Stephen King

1. First of all, Castle Rock is a new show from legendary author Stephen King and writer/producer/director slash literally-does-so-much-I-can't-keep-up-er J. J. Abrams.

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DEFINITELY here for this combo.

2. However, the show itself does not follow the actual plot of any King book specifically, it is an original story...

Patrick Harbron / Hulu

3. ...but it will be based on “characters and locations” from Stephen King.

Columbia Pictures, Hulu

For example, Castle Rock sheriff Alan Pangborn appears in King's books The Dark Half, The Sun Dog, and Needful Things (played by Ed Harris in the film adaptation, left). Pangborn is played by Scott Glenn in Castle Rock (right).

4. The cast actually includes several actors who've been in other famous King film adaptations — like Sissy Spacek, who iconically played Carrie in the original Carrie...

Hulu, United Artists

Spacek plays Ruth Deaver in Castle Rock.

5. ...Bill Skarsgård who played Pennywise in 2017's It...

Hulu, Warner Bros.

Skarsgård plays a yet-to-be-named prisoner.

6. ...and also Chosen Jacobs who played Mike in It.

Hulu, Warner Bros.

Jacobs plays Wendell Deaver in Castle Rock.

7. And while I know you all loved his turn as Pennywise in It, Skarsgård says his role in Castle Rock is quite different.

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Discussing the mystery around his character Skarsgård explained, "It's probably not what you would expect."

8. In fact, Skarsgård got so into his role for Castle Rock, that he lost 30 pounds to play the mysterious Shawshank prisoner.

Patrick Harbron / Hulu

He told GQ, "A couple of months before we started shooting, I cut out all carbs and slowly lost weight. And then, three weeks before we started shooting, I got more and more intense on it."

9. And, yes, this is the same Shawshank State Penitentiary from The Shawshank Redemption.

Columbia Pictures

Although, (kinda sadly), they did not film at the same location from the movie. The Shawshank Redemption was filmed at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio.

10. The show's star, André Holland (who plays lawyer Henry Deaver), has said that this was "the best pilot script" he's ever read.

Patrick Harbron / Hulu

11. The show is named after a fictional town in Maine called Castle Rock, which famously exists in many of King's books.

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Both as a setting (The Dead Zone, Cujo, etc.) and by mention (The Stand, It, etc.).

12. And the name Castle Rock was actually *borrowed* by King himself from the book Lord of the Flies.

Columbia Pictures

It is literally a castle-like rock that the boys explore in the book.

13. Co-showrunners Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason told Variety they "were heavily inspired by King's 1981 novel Cujo."

Viking Press, Hulu

They said they liked "the idea of whether something supernatural is in play, depending on interpretation of the reader."

14. Although the show takes place in Maine, filming actually happened in Massachusetts.

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Specifically, in a town called Orange, Massachusetts.

15. And Castle Rock will actually span two time periods — present day and also the '90s.

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According to Variety, "The juxtaposition of the two time periods became important to the storytelling because the 1990s were a 'nostalgic era' for the producers’ relationship with King."

16. King himself has seen the first episode and has given his seal of approval.

Hulu, EMMANUEL DUNAND / Getty

According to Indiewire, the show's creators said King saw the first episode and said that "for the first time in a very long time, he called out to his TV to tell someone to not go where they were about to go."

17. And finally, this will be an anthology series — à la American Horror Story or Fargo.

Hulu

Castle Rock premieres July 25, 2018 on Hulu.