On newsstands July 19, 2018

Sci-Fi Preview: J.J. Abrams Lures Us to the Scariest Town Ever With ‘Castle Rock’

Sci-Fi Preview/Castle Rock

Welcome to Castle Rock, Maine, scariest small town in the USA and the setting for a new Hulu thriller that’s got us hooked.

The sleepy, creepy New England locale, a hub for supernatural goings-on, is the creation of horror writer Stephen King and the familiar backdrop to some of his most gruesome page-turners, including Needful Things (stolen souls) and Cujo (a murderous dog that put us off Saint Bernards forever). Now King has turned over the mayorship to Castle Rock creators and executive producers Dustin Thomason and Sam Shaw, with input from auteur of eerie J.J. Abrams (Lost).

The tale centers on divorced dad and dedicated Texas death-row attorney Henry Deaver (André Holland, The Knick), who reluctantly returns to his hometown after an anonymous call from a whistle-blower at Shawshank State Prison: An inmate there has asked for Henry. The seeming innocent is a newly incarcerated, sunken-eyed young man (Bill Skarsgård, aka evil clown Pennywise in the 2017 flick based on King’s It) who refuses to say much, not even his own name. Dubbed The Kid, he is a stranger to Henry… but the lawyer takes the case anyway.

Also in this issue:

  • Sci-Fi Preview: The farewell season of Game of Thrones, Doctor Who‘s first female Doctor, Outlander‘s trip to America, the last Sharknado and a roundup of highly anticipated new projects in the realm of TV sci-fi and fantasy.
  • Making It: Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman chat about their crafty NBC reality series. Plus: Would they be game for a Parks and Recreation reunion?
  • Plus: What makes a summer show sizzle; Senior Critic Matt Roush dissects this year’s Emmy nominees; Lori Loughlin on why she loves being a Hallmark heroine; Sharp Objects‘ Patricia Clarkson and the best of movies, streaming, sports and more.
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