Stephen King fans share same hope as ‘hype-worthy’ series quietly joins major streamer

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Stephen King fans share same hope as ‘hype-worthy’ series quietly joins major streamer

Fans say they binged the entire series in one weekend

A much-loved Stephen King series has finally joined a major streaming service in the US.

Just as HBO Max's It: Welcome to Derry wraps up, another fan-favorite King series is getting a new lease of life as it debuts on Netflix.

With the future of Welcome to Derry hanging in the balance, this 'intriguing' two-season show could tide you over until we hear news on the IT prequel.

The new-to-Netflix Stephen King series first debuted on Hulu in 2018, with its second season following in 2019.

The psychological horror series is set in the Maine town that appears throughout King’s novels and short stories.

Rather than adapting one specific book, the anthology weaves original stories and characters together with elements from King’s larger fictional universe.

Fans reckon the show's first season is even better than It: Welcome To Derry (Hulu)
Fans reckon the show's first season is even better than It: Welcome To Derry (Hulu)

The first season centers on Henry Deaver (André Holland), a death-row attorney who returns to the town after receiving a cryptic call about a mysterious prisoner.

He has been found in a hidden cell beneath Shawshank State Penitentiary and refuses to speak to anyone but him.

As Henry digs into the mystery, he confronts his own troubled past and uncovers unsettling secrets about the prisoner and the town itself.

The second season reimagines Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan), the infamous nurse originally from King’s novel Misery.

Becoming stranded in a car accident with her daughter, she becomes entangled in a feud between local families and darker supernatural forces tied to the town’s history.

The series we're talking about, if you hadn't guessed already, is Castle Rock.

Annie Kaplan stars in Castle Rock's second season (Hulu)
Annie Kaplan stars in Castle Rock's second season (Hulu)

Learning that the show was joining Netflix, fans took to Reddit to share their excitement.

They also hoped renewed interest in Castle Rock might help revive it for a third season.

"Man I’d love for this to be charting for a few weeks on Netflix so they can consider picking up season three," one fan wrote, noting it was a 'long shot'.

"Right? I loved this show and was so disappointed they only did the two seasons," a second agreed.

"Hopefully it might happen now Netflix have put in the highest bid for Warner Bros & HBO," a third wished.

It wouldn't be the first time Netflix has brought another network's show back to life - just look at Manifest, Cobra Kai and Arrested Development as examples.

Elsewhere on the thread, other fans reckoned Castle Rock's second season is even better than Welcome to Derry.

And on IMDB, viewers were singing the show's praises.

Rating it a '10/10,' one 'lifelong' King fan said: "Believe the hype.

"The nods to various works by [King] are plentiful, and the cinematography seems plucked from a King fans mind."

They added: "If you're reading this and still not sure whether to give it a go as many King adaptations are a hit or a miss I urge you to watch. I don't think you'll be disappointed."

A second described it as a 'slow burner', but 'intriguing' nonetheless, as a third said they were 'gripped from episode one' and watched the whole season 'in one weekend'.

Castle Rock is streaming now on both Netflix and Hulu in the US.

Find out where it's streaming in your country here.

Featured Image Credit: Mathew Tsang/Getty Images

Topics: Film and TV, Hulu, Netflix, Stephen King, Streaming, Warner Bros, Horror