The first season of Hulu’s Castle Rock was a real exercise in mood and dread. Set in the fictional Maine town that’s featured in a number of Stephen King short stories and novels, the first season was related to King’s world without being an adaptation of any specific source material. Familiar names and references popped up, but the series made it pretty clear by the end that this was an alternate-universe version of events. That made for a bit of confusion, but also opened up the possibilities for future seasons. And indeed, that setting is part of what makes us so excited for season two, which will tell a story inspired by King’s famous novel Misery, with its own unique spin.
The first trailer for Castle Rock season two shows us what this version of Misery will look like and how it will differ from both the book and the 1990 movie.
Castle Rock continues its tradition of casting actors known for previous King adaptations, brining Tim Robbins–of Shawshank Redemption fame–into the fray as a character named Reginald Merrill. (If you’re familiar with King, you’ll recognize the surname “Merrill” from Stand By Me and Needful Things.) The cast also features Eighth Grade‘s Elsie Fisher as Wilkes’ daughter, Joy, Captain Phillips’ Barkhad Abdi, Paul Sparks, Yusra Warsama, and Matthew Alan.
You’ll also probably recognize another familiar name in that trailer: the sign for Jerusalem’s Lot, another fictional Maine town of King’s invention that’s the setting for his 1975 vampire novel, ‘Salem’s Lot. How that town fits into the second season of Castle Rock will be apparent when the first episode premieres on October 23.
Header Image Credit: Hulu