46 Years Later, Stephen King’s Lovecraft-Inspired Horror Story Officially Headed to Television
Stephen King graduated from horror author to multimedia brand ambassador decades ago, but few could have expected the sort of resurgence we’re seeing today. Stephen King’s books and novellas have been mined to create several high-profile TV shows and movies in the last few years (Doctor Sleep, Gerald’s Game, The Stand, Life of Chuck, The Monkey, The Running Man). King’s works have also become so ingrained in our culture that there are entire spinoff shows set in his universe (Castle Rock), as well as expansions of his work that King himself never penned, like HBO’s prequel series, IT: Welcome to Derry.
With so many Stephen King works having broken through to the mainstream, it’s almost harder to identify which of King’s works haven’t been adapted for the screen. But, if you can believe it, there is one Stephen King project that has struggled for nearly half a century to make it onto the screen, but now it’s finally happening!
Stephen King Receives Milestone TV Series Order From Amazon Prime Video
Stephen King’s 1980 short story Crouch End is getting adapted into a six-part limited series that will stream on Amazon Prime Video. Paul Tomalin (Bodies) is handling the adaptation, while Tom Shankland (The Serpent) will direct the series. Tomalin and Shankland will executive produce the series, alongside Damien Timmer, Rebecca Keane and Ben Irving. Mammoth Screen and Fifth Season are partnering with Amazon to produce the series.
It will be the very first Stephen King adaptation to be produced in the UK (a market Prime Video is rapidly expanding into), marking a milestone moment where King’s entertainment media brand is going international. However, it’s a fitting time for the UK TV/film industry to enter the fray, as Crouch End is set in the North London district of the same name. So filming in the UK makes sense if Amazon Prime Video wants to capture the authenticity of the setting.
“Stephen King is one of the defining storytellers of our time, and we’re thrilled to bring his Lovecraftian tale to life in London with Crouch End,” Nicole Clemens, VP of International Originals at Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said in a statement. “Paul Tomalin brings a singular, character-driven vision to the series and, paired with Tom Shankland at the helm, plus the first-class production teams at Mammoth Screen and Fifth Season, this show will grip audiences worldwide with its visceral crime thriller and supernatural mystery.”
What Is Stephen King’s Crouch End About?
As the synopsis for Crouch End and its TV adaptation describes: “London never sleeps deeply, and its dreams are uneasy. When global movie star Doris Freeman bursts into a London police station claiming that strange phenomena are behind the disappearance of her husband, police inspector Ted Vetter must investigate whether she’s telling the truth, whether she could be a murderer, or whether there’s something even more chilling at play.”
Even though the story synopsis doesn’t spell it out, Crouch End was Stephen King’s ode to the work of horror pioneer H.P. Lovecraft. It was originally a short story that King published in the Lovecraftian homage New Tales of the Cthulhi Mythos before it was re-published in King’s classic collection Nightmares & Dreamscapes.
“After reading ‘Crouch End’ some years back, Stephen King’s vivid prose has haunted my nightmares ever since,” Paul Tomalin said in a statement. “Having the honour to adapt it with the incredible team at Mammoth, Fifth Season and Amazon alongside director Tom Shankland is a dream come true. I couldn’t be more excited to bring this thrilling tale to the screen.”
Crouch End is currently in pre-production at Amazon Prime Video. Casting has yet to get underway.
Via: Variety
