First of all, did you even know there’s a The Shining series called Overlook in development? I didn’t, but that was an exciting discovery to make today. Apparently, it’s one of a few deals that J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot made with WarnerMedia last spring, according to Comicbook.
Let’s take a look at what we know so far about Overlook, including where we’ll be able to see it and when we might get to start streaming it.
Overlook Storyline: What will it be about?
Screen Rant reported that the Overlook TV series will be a prequel to Stephen King’s The Shining, but what it “will actually be about remains to be seen.”
Warner Bros. released a press statement on April 16, 2020, that said it will be a horror-thriller inspired by and featuring iconic characters from Stephen King’s masterpiece The Shining. Also, that the series will explore the untold terrifying stories of the most famous haunted hotel in American fiction.
Who’s part of the series?
We don’t know any casting yet, but the project reunites Bad Robot, King and WBTV, who previously collaborated on the acclaimed psychological-horror series Castle Rock for Hulu.
This is interesting to note, because the movie version of The Shining, while based on King’s novel, is always distinguished as Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. It’s also no secret that King didn’t just not like Kubrick’s adaptation, he hated it. As Collider noted, so much so he scripted The Shining miniseries which aired on ABC in 1997.
I’m excited the book’s author himself involved. Who knows the Overlook Hotel’s backstory better than him?
That also might mean we’ll get to know more about, and spend more time with, the characters who were in his book, such as Halloran, Lloyd the bartender, or any of the guests who were at the party in 1945. But there’s room for so many characters, staff and guests alike.
Release Date
There isn’t one yet. There’s not even any pre-production info out yet. But as soon as I know of any, I’ll share!
Overlook Trailer
Since it’s still in development, there is no trailer yet. However, as soon as I spot one, I’ll share that too!
Did you know?
Something else I didn’t have an appreciation for but learned from the Screen Rant article was that Warner Bros. might have released a Shining prequel movie called Overlook Hotel. One was in the works.
However, thanks to the fact that Doctor Sleep tanked financially at the box office, it got scrapped. Audiences seemed to like it well enough. But I guess there just wasn’t enough of them spending their money in the theaters.
I’m more excited for a series I think. They can do more with that format than in a movie anyway.
Check-In
Who would you like to see in the Overlook TV series? Whether it’s a character from the book, an actor you’d like to see play a certain character, or some part of the story or area of the haunted hotel you’d like to know more about.
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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I would totally like to see a prequel series. There’s got to be some sort of sordid, greedy murders or something that sparked the supernatural goings-on at the hotel.
I didn’t know King didn’t like The Shining. WHY? It’s a great movie! I didn’t enjoy the Doctor Sleep book, so I didn’t watch that movie.
I’m with you on wanting to see a prequel too. There really does have to be some stories there to make the hotel what it was and it’d be exciting to watch them unfold…
I’m not sure why he didn’t like what Kubrick did. I think he felt he took too many liberties with the material but I’m not positive. I love knowing there was a Kin book you didn’t like too. There haven’t been many but when it happens I almost feel blasphemous for not liking something he’s written. lol If the movie followed the book, I wouldn’t have liked it either because I didn’t like where it went. It started out okay but then… too much. lol
Funny how he didn;t like the Kubrick version, but then the Doctor Sleep movie and and bit in the book)kind=a used that movie over his moni series in some points. Go figure. I noticed he totes the new It movies and yet when the director said closed to the book, I began rereading the book (last time was in the 80s, so the book has gotten larger, meaning stuff added back) and the mini series in the 90s is actually closer to the book. It would be interesting to see what they do with a prequel. (By the way, I did do a haunted hotel horro story that is in my collection, Spectre Nightmares and Visitations, long ago. Any building that can have hauntingsa of all types–hotels are it as people stay there on trips and business trips, even die in them.
I loved the ABC mini-series version of IT. Wasn’t nuts about the movies. They left out some of the best parts from the book. Crazy!