Audiences can practically set their clocks by Stephen King adaptations. Going back to 1976 when Brian de Palma's Carrie was released, there have only been six years total in which audiences didn't have a live-action King story to enjoy – via either a brand new release or a new season of an existing television show. Last year fans were delivered the stellar HBO series The Outsider, Shudder's Creepshow Animated Special (which in part is based on the short story "Survivor Type"), and Paramount+'s The Stand, but now it's 2021, and that means that it's time for Lisey's Story to take the spotlight on Apple TV+, and it does just that in the preview above.
Stephen King's Lisey's Story, the new Apple TV+ miniseries, has launched it's first ever trailer, and it should definitely get the hearts of Constant Readers racing. The show looks both beautiful and tense, featuring an absolutely mind-blowing cast that includes Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Joan Allen, Dane DeHaan, and Ron Cephas Jones. And they're all seen in the trailer, brooding and whispering, mourning and frightened.
Directed entirely by Pablo Larraín (Jackie) and adapted by Stephen King himself, Lisey's Story is an limited series centering on its eponymous character (Julianne Moore), a woman who continues to grieve two years after the death of her husband, a famous author named Scott Landon (Clive Owen). Things begin to go a bit off the rails when Lisey's sister, Amanda (Joan Allen), winds up slipping into a catatonic state, and a professor (Ron Cephas Jones) starts getting pushy about unpublished manuscripts – but the colliding events also have the effect of driving Lisey's mind back through her relationship with her Scott, forcing her to reflect on memories that she suppressed over the years.
The miniseries is based on the novel of the same name, first published back in 2006, and King has said many times that it is his favorite book among those he has written. So it makes sense that this is the first time he's taken the reins in a full TV series adaptation, having previously written teleplays for TV movies. And there are many signature King moments in the trailer, from backwards messages written in blood to the printed page being utilized to freaky entities that can't be fully described just yet. Lisey's story is one that everyone needs to hear.
First going into production back at the tail end of 2019, Lisey's Story was initially planned as a 2020 release, but that schedule was throttled by the pandemic, which forced filming to shut down early last year. The work was finally completed last fall, which Julianne Moore celebrated with a post on her Instagram account, and now it's finally almost here.
Like most Apple TV+ originals, episodes are set to unfold weekly, but the series launch will include the first two episodes – allowing audiences to get a running start into the story.That premiere is scheduled for June 4, and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend, as we have plenty of exciting coverage set to come your way. And to discover everything else that's happening on the small screen in the upcoming season, be sure to check out our 2021 Summer TV Premiere schedule.
