Stephen King’s ‘Castle Rock’ is Coming To Netflix This Month – It’s a Must-Watch

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Good news for Stephen King fans! The series Castle Rock will be available on Netflix starting December 16th, 2025. With the first season of IT: Welcome to Derry finishing up on HBO Max on December 14th, now is the perfect time to find a new spooky show to watch, and Netflix is providing one. Castle Rock originally premiered on Hulu in July 2018 and ran for two seasons, but it didn’t quite reach the same level of popularity as other TV shows based on Stephen King’s extensive collection of stories.

Set in the town of Castle Rock, Maine, and featuring the iconic Shawshank State Prison, the series boasts a strong cast including Sissy Spacek, Bill Skarsgård, Melanie Lynskey, Lizzy Caplan, and André Holland. With several Stephen King adaptations released in 2025 – including the eagerly awaited films The Long Walk and The Running Man – it’s a great time to revisit his older works, and Castle Rock continues to stand out as a top choice.

Why Stephen King Fans Should Watch ‘Castle Rock’ on Netflix


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It’s true that TV shows based on Stephen King’s work haven’t always been great. However, IT: Welcome to Derry Season 5, Episode 7 showed that a scary and compelling prequel is possible, even with one of his most famous stories. Unfortunately, there was also Under the Dome, a three-season CBS series that didn’t live up to the potential of its interesting idea – a town trapped under a mysterious dome.

Many consider the TV series Castle Rock to be one of Stephen King’s best, yet most overlooked, adaptations, and it’s a must-watch for any King enthusiast. The show is packed with references and familiar elements from his stories. Fans will recognize the town of Castle Rock itself, which appears in novels like Needful Things and The Dead Zone, among others. The series also draws inspiration from settings like Shawshank Prison, famously featured in the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption. Notably, Sheriff Alan Pangborn (played by Scott Glenn) is a key character not only in Castle Rock but also in Needful Things, the novella “The Sun Dog,” and The Dark Half.

It’s really enjoyable to get lost in a TV show that highlights the brilliant and captivating imagination of Stephen King, who has been thrilling audiences in books, movies, and on television since his debut novel, Carrie, came out in 1974. Fans of Carrie will love seeing Sissy Spacek reprise her role as the poignant Ruth Deaver in Castle Rock. Ruth’s storyline about dementia is difficult to watch, but it’s a powerful part of the show, demonstrating that it explores meaningful themes of family, love, and loss – not just the spooky events in a small town, though that’s certainly a big part of its appeal.

The show features nods to classic Stephen King characters, including Jackie Torrance from The Shining and The Kid, played by Tim Curry—who famously portrayed Pennywise in the 1990 IT miniseries. While the first season is effectively spooky, many fans will likely enjoy the second season even more, thanks to Lizzy Caplan’s fantastic portrayal of Annie Wilkes, the chilling nurse originally seen in Misery. It’s exciting to revisit this iconic villain! Instead of simply recreating Kathy Bates’ memorable performance, the series explores Annie’s younger years and develops a compelling story around her relationship with her daughter, Joy (Elsie Fisher).

Even Stephen King was impressed with Castle Rock. J.J. Abrams, an executive producer on the show, shared with Entertainment Weekly that King appreciated the concept of a series drawing from his existing characters and locations, instead of being based on a single book. Abrams explained that the show truly feels like it exists within the world King built. Luckily, fans will be able to experience this world for themselves when Seasons 1 and 2 of Castle Rock become available on Netflix December 16th.

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2025-12-14 20:03