We’re only a few months away from the President’s Day premiere of Hulu’s eight-part mini-series adaptation of Stephen King’s 11.22.63. To drum up some hype, there’s now a short teaser trailer that includes just enough mystery to get us circling our calendars and planners.
“I’m going to tell you something that’s gonna seem crazy,” an off-camera Chris Cooper says to James Franco, who stands before a dark hallway, hooking us in. “You go through there, it’s 1960.” Line. “I need you to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy.” And there’s the sinker.
Already, the series appears to be in good hands. There are several gripping shots that speak to the talent of Academy Award-winning director Kevin Macdonald and Sarah Gadon looks absolutely stunning as Franco’s love interest Sadie Dunhill. Also, is that a shot of the Yellow Card Man at the end?
11.22.63 follows high-school English teacher Jake Epping (Franco), who is shown a mysterious door that takes him into the past. What starts out as a simple adventure to change a friend’s sordid life quickly turns into an extended mission to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Franco, Cooper, and Gadon star alongside Josh Duhamel, T.R. Knight, Cherry Jones, Lucy Fry, George MacKay, and Daniel Webber. J.J. Abrams, Stephen King, Bridget Carpenter, and Bryan Burk all serve as executive producers. Again, mark your calendar: The time warp begins February 16, 2016.
In the meantime, do yourself a favor and step into 2012 first with this dusty editorial on the original novel by yours truly. Or find out why King’s works actually necessitate a cinematic universe. Or see how King’s past works have stacked up over the years.
