There’s nothing more exhilarating than the early days of a streaming platform when executives go all-out in the hope of attracting new subscribers. We’ve spent the better part of 2019 watching Disney+ promise big-budget adaptations of each of its tentpole franchises, and Apple TV+ has followed suit by snatching up every recognizable creator left on the market. That means new shows from executive producers like M. Night Shyamalan (“Servant“), Stephen Spielberg (“Amazing Stories“), and even Stephen King (“Lisey’s Story“). With that kind of lineup, your dad is going to be stoked.
READ MORE: Every Stephen King Movie Adaptation, Ranked
But big-name showrunners is only half the battle. Apple TV+ has also demonstrated a willingness to go with big-name actors in crucial roles. That’s how you end up having someone like Clive Owen play the late husband of Julianne Moore (!) in “Lisey’s Story.” Deadline recently announced that Owen would be joining the series, which follows the title character as she comes to terms with the death of her husband (and the secrets he might have kept). For his part, Owen’s career has been a little on the quiet side the past few years; while the Steven Soderbergh-directed “The Knick” was a critical success, Owen has mostly bounced between mid-budget action movies over the past decade. A show like “Lisey’s Story” could help reposition him as a venerable middle-aged actor, especially with Moore and King there to bring the project some heat.
READ MORE: Julianne Moore Joins “Lisey’s Story” for Apple TV+
As a reminder, “Lisey’s Story” is differentiated from the rest of the Stephen King adaptations in production by its screenwriter. King himself will be writing all eight episodes of the miniseries, a role he’s taken on multiple times in his career without a clear win to his name. As much as people may love movies like “Creepshow” or “Silver Bullet,” it’s fair to say that King the screenwriter has never approached the incredible heights of King the novelist. His most recent attempt, “A Good Marriage,” was widely disliked by critics, leaving “Lisey’s Story” an intriguing question mark in the writer’s career.
Update: Pablo Larrain is said to be the director of this one.