Stephen King has had a long relationship with Hollywood, and over the decades there have been some extreme highs and lows. The author has regularly praised the work of filmmakers bringing his books to life on the big or small screen, but he has also never been shy about sharing his disapproval. This in mind, his opinion always carries a lot of weight when a new adaptation is released – and it makes it all the more exciting that he has now given his seal of approval to the new series Chapelwaite.
The Epix original, which is based on the short story “Jerusalem’s Lot,” premiered its first episode this past Sunday, and this week Stephen King took to his personal Twitter account to share his thoughts on the program. He not only praised it as “excellent” and “creepy,” but also provided some interesting history about the source material. Check out his Tweet below:
“Jerusalem’s Lot” is featured as the very first entry in the 1978 collection Night Shift – the same book that provided the inspiration for Maximum Overdrive, Cat's Eye, Sometimes They Come Back, and other films – but it’s origins go back far further than that tome. According to Stephen King, he actually wrote the story when he was a student at the University of Maine, and while it didn’t get published until eight years after he graduated, it apparently ended up serving as great inspiration for what ended up being his second novel: 1975’s ‘Salem’s Lot.
“Jerusalem's Lot” is set more than a century before that iconic vampire novel, and it’s actually primarily focused on a neighboring Maine town called Preacher’s Corners. The story is told through a series of letters and tells the tale of Captain Charles Boone – a man who moves to Preacher’s Corners after he inherits his family’s ancestral home, an estate called Chapelwaite, following the death of his estranged cousin. When he first moves in he is distrubed by events that transpire inside the house, starting with an interminable scratching coming from inside the walls, but things get far worse when the protagonist discovers a map to a small desolate town called Jerusalem’s Lot, opening a horrific and Lovecraftian can of worms.
Expanding on the ideas in the short story, Chapelwaite makes some notable changes to the story – such as making Captain Charles Boone (Adrien Brody) a widower and a father of three school age children. Also brought into the story is Rebecca Morgan (Emily Hampshire), a young writer who is hired as the family’s governess during their time in Preacher’s Corners. Much of what Stephen King originally wrote, however, is still very much in the DNA of the series, as fans will discover as it continues to air its 10 episode first season.
If you’ve already watched the premiere of Chapelwaite, Episode 2, titled “Memento Mori,” will be available for you this Sunday, August 29 at 10pm PST/EST. But if you’re feeling too impatient for that, you should also know that the first three episodes of the Stephen King show are now available both on the Epix Now app and on VOD.
