3 Things to Know About ‘Castle Rock’s ‘Misery’-Inspired Season 2

CASTLE ROCK
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Hulu

The horror anthology series Castle Rock, set in the Stephen King universe and featuring multiple characters from the novelist’s stories, returns to Hulu for Season 2 with a new cast and story.

Here’s some essential intel.

1. Misery psycho Annie Wilkes takes center stage.

Young killer Annie (Lizzy Caplan) finds herself stuck in dinky Castle Rock, Maine. The nurse isn’t looking for trouble, but a violent act she commits in the premiere inadvertently drives a deeper wedge between some local rivals.

2. The story is timely.

Town bully Ace Merrill (Paul Sparks) clashes with entrepreneurial Somali immigrant Abdi Omar (Barkhad Abdi) over control of business interests. Exec producer Dustin Thomason says that’s one of the “real-world horrors” explored, but he promises supernatural elements too.

(Credit: Dana Starbard/Hulu)

3. The cast continues to have connections to King.

Like Season 1 star (and Carrie icon) Sissy Spacek, Tim Robbins, who plays loan shark Pop Merrill on this installment, has a link to the horror author: He played prisoner Andy Dufresne in 1994’s Shawshank Redemption. Says Thomason: “That’s some of the fun of casting the show!”

Castle Rock, Season 2 Premiere, Wednesday, October 23, Hulu