J.J. Abrams and Warner Bros. Television are teaming up to bring Stephen King’s 11/22/63 to Hulu, a US-based online streaming service. However, Warner Bros. will be distributing the series overseas (no premiere date has been set at this point though) and it may only be available to Hulu Plus subscribers in the states.
The nine hour adaptation is based on the 2011 release which follows high school English teacher Jake Epping, who travels back in time to try to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas on the fateful date in American history that the book is obviously named after. It’s one of King’s lengthier novels and attempts to bring it the big screen haven’t gone particularly far in the past.
Stephen King will serve as an executive producer as will J.J. Abrams through Bad Robot along with Bridget Carpenter and Bryan Burk. Carpenter will write the teleplay, though there’s no word on who will direct.
“If I ever wrote a book that cries out for long-form, event-TV programming, ’11/22/63? is it,” King said in a statement today. “I’m excited that it’s going to happen, and am looking forward to working with J.J. Abrams and the whole Bad Robot team.” Interestingly, it’s noted that the series will leave the door open for future seasons based on the stories, so it may not be a straightforward nine-part adaptation of the novel.
Star Wars Episode VII director J.J. Abrams had this to say in his own statement about the project. “I’ve been a fan of Stephen King since I was in junior high school. The chance to work with him at all, let alone on a story so compelling, emotional and imaginative, is a dream.” Are you excited for an adaptation of 11/22/63?
