Stephen King's works have done quite well in the streaming age. In 2016, the novel 11.22.63 was developed as a miniseries for Hulu that turned out to be exceptional, and since then there have been both shows (The Stand, Castle Rock, Creepshow) and movies (Gerald's Game, 1922) that have created an exciting new subsection in the author/filmmaker's awesome legacy. That particular legacy will further expand later this year with the launch of Lisey's Story on Apple TV+, and King is getting us hyped for it simply by highlighting the remarkable talent that is involved.
Ever the active Twitter user, Stephen King took to his personal account this morning and gave his followers a preview of his next adaptation with some name-dropping and some short, content-rich sentences. Preparing Constant Readers for what's to come, he wrote,
It feels a bit blasphemous to make a New York Yankees reference while discussing Stephen King, but I'm going to make it anyway: that's a murderers' row of talent right there – both in front of and behind the camera. And what adds a bit of extra fun is that there are some Stephen King adaptation veterans highlighted in this list, including Jennifer Jason Leigh (who played the daughter of Kathy Bates' eponymous character in Dolores Claiborne) and Joan Allen (who is one half of the lead betrothed couple in A Good Marriage).
Based on the novel of the same name, which was first published in 2006, Lisey's Story will feature Julianne Moore in the titular role (pronounced "Lee-See") and begin as she works to sort out her life in the wake of the death of her husband, renowned fiction author Scott Landon (Clive Owen). Her greatest obstacle in this task is in the handling of Scott's unpublished manuscripts and dealing with rude and pushy "Incuncs" who want her to give up the works – and things quickly ratchet up from "nuisance" to "violent threat." Throughout this scary drama, Lisey reflects on her years with the man she loves, and while doing so uncovers repressed memories that unveil whole new worlds of possibilities.
It was back in 2017 that Stephen King first expressed public interest in the book being adapted – having prior to that named it as his favorite among those he has written. Apple became involved in 2019 when the company purchased the rights, and inside that same year Lisey's Story started production. Unfortunately, production had to halt as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which hindered plans to start releasing episodes of the miniseries last year. Now, however, filming has been completed, and while there is no firm date set, the premiere is being planned for the summer.
Pablo Larraín, who is best known for directing the Natalie Portman-starring biopic Jackie, took the helm of all eight episodes of Lisey's Story, and Stephen King has adapted the book himself – his first time doing so since 2006's Desperation (obviously not counting the coda he wrote for The Stand).
With summer really not all that far away at this point, I'm hoping that it won't be too much longer before we get our first look at Lisey's Story – be it in the form of some official stills or possibly even a trailer. CinemaBlend is keeping an eye out, and I'm keeping my fingers tightly crossed that the Apple TV+ miniseries can live up to its phenomenal potential. (And in the meantime, do yourself a favor and read the book, because it truly is one of his best.)
To see what other Stephen King adaptations are currently in the works, be sure to check out our Upcoming Stephen King guide.
