I Don't Watch Paradise, But Stephen King's Specific High Praise Makes Me Think I'm Making A Mistake

I consider it a professional responsibility as an editor here at CinemaBlend to try and watch as much film and TV as I can. I watched 166 new releases in 2025, and I can't even give you a rough count of how many shows I watch to keep up with – the aim being to grasp a proper understanding of the broad media landscape and be able to speak on different titles with authority. One series I haven't yet caught up with since it premiered early last year is Paradise, and based on recent commentary from Stephen King, I'm getting the sense that I'm really missing out.

Posted to social media last night, the author's thoughts about one of Hulu's premiere shows is the lead story in this week's edition of The King Beat, but it's not the only headline: a satisfying tease is now online for the new audiobook recording of "The Body," and King has some tried and true advice for fans and young readers after one of his books has been banned from public schools in Utah. There's a lot to discuss, so let's dig in!

Stephen King Praises Paradise Season 2 As Being Superior To Its Predecessor, But It's A Special Part Of His Praise That Raises My Eyebrow

I'm going to be honest: I don't always follow Stephen King's recommendations. In recent years, he got me to watch the spider-centric horror of 2024's Infested and the heavy drama of Baby Reindeer, but I also can't say that I've been in a huge rush to check out Jason Statham in Shelter, which King praised earlier this month. As much as I love almost all of his books, our tastes when it comes to TV and movies don't always match… but I now find myself extremely intrigued by his description of Paradise on Hulu.

I recall Paradise premiering in early 2025 to much acclaim, competing with The Pitt as the most exciting new series available on streaming. That hype didn't get to me, but Stephen King's thoughts on the most recent run have my attention for two reasons: the first is that he says that the trajectory of the quality is going in the right direction, and he likens the show to the works of one of my other favorite authors. He posted on Threads:

While I don't think that quality second seasons are as rare as King suggests here, it's certainly a vital step for a series to create a legacy of greatness. In any first season, the writers are still fine tuning the world and understanding what works about the ensemble of characters, but season two is where all of the learned lessons can be applied.

As for the comment about Elmore Leonard: I can't say I recall any of his books being set in an underground bunker in a post-doomsday society, but I appreciate King's thought; it's clearly being less about comparing Paradise to a Leonard story and more about matching the Get Shorty author's sensibilities. I can't say that really lines up with what else I've heard about the show, but it will get me to at least give the pilot a shot.

Now probably isn't a terrible time to start watching, either. Paradise Season 2 is now in the back half of its run, with the final episodes set to debut for Hulu subscribers on the two Mondays remaining in the month. And there's no worries about a cliffhanger that will never be satisfied either, as the show has already been renewed for a Season 3.

Curious About The New Audiobook Recording Of "The Body" Narrated By Wil Wheaton? A Preview Is Now Available For Your Listening Pleasure

Being a big audiobook fan, I say this with full-throated enthusiasm: the original narrated recording of "The Body," included in the audiobook of the collection Different Seasons, is phenomenal. There are few better ways to experience a Stephen King story than with the voice of the dearly departed Frank Muller, and his reading of King's beloved coming-of-age tale is one the greatest examples of their collaboration (his resume also including the first three Dark Tower sequels, The Green Mile, The Regulators, The Talisman and Black House).

All that being said, I'd be lying to you if I said that I wasn't incredibly curious about the upcoming edition that credits Wil Wheaton as the narrator.

I first wrote about the new audiobook edition of "The Body" last month when Stephen King personally announced that the project was happening, and now that we are less than a week from it being available for download, potential listeners can get a preview of what to expect. Bloody Disgusting has an exclusive clip from the recording, and if you have a copy of the book handy, it's easy to follow along because the read passage is the opening of the novella.

Wheaton, of course, is a special pick to read "The Body" because of his role as Gordie LaChance in director Rob Reiner's beloved adaptation of the story, Stand By Me. The structure of the first person narrative has an adult Gordie looking back on his time growing up in the town of Castle Rock, Maine, and while the role of adult Gordie was played by Richard Dreyfus in the film, Wheaton is now of an appropriate age to take on that part himself for the audiobook.

When the audiobook was first announced, the actor called it a "dream come true" and said that he has been trying for a long time to make the project happen. Making the debut of the audiobook even better is the fact that the release precedes a special theatrical re-release of Stand By Me celebrating the movie's 40th anniversary. You can start listening to "The Body" on Tuesday March 24 (pre-orders are open now via Audible), and check out the week-long theatrical run for the Rob Reiner adaptation starting Friday, March 27.

Stephen King Has A Strong Message After Utah Banned Bag Of Bones From Schools

Stephen King is no stranger to having his books banned from schools. Back in late 2023, 16 of the author's novels were disallowed from a district in Florida, and when the news got to him, he didn't respond with outrage; instead, he reflected on the list with a clear pride, writing on social media, "16 of my books? I must be doing something right."

That same energy can be found on a post on Threads that he put up this week. As reported by the Salt Lake Tribune, Utah has banned Stephen King's 1998 novel Bag Of Bones from all public schools – the latest in a list that now stands at 23 titles – and the author has used the moment as an opportunity to suggest that young people find a way to get their hands on the work elsewhere. He wrote,

This philosophy of King's can actually be traced back multiple decades – starting in 1992 when he wrote a guest column for The Bangor Daily News headlined "The Book-Banners: Adventure in Censorship is Stranger Than Fiction" (addressing The Dead Zone and The Tommyknockers being pulled from middle school libraries in Florida). In 1997, he wrote an essay titled "I Want To Be Typhoid Stevie," and he explained that book bans are not about content but authority:

Bag Of Bones, a book about an author looking to resurrect his talent following the shocking and sudden death of his wife, does feature scenes of intense sexuality and violence… but it also features commentary about abuses of power by the wealthy and depictions of racism and vicious hate crimes. The reason for the book's banning in Utah was not cited by the state – and I should also note that novelists Elana K. Arnold and Ellen Hopkins are among a collection of writers who filed a lawsuit against state officials last month arguing that the recently enacted sensitive materials law is unconstitutional.

That brings an end to this edition of The King Beat, but the constant flow of news about the author and his works has kept this column going for 134 straight weeks, and I have no reason to expect #135 won't be available to read here on CinemaBlend next Thursday. Be sure to head back here then for my new feature, and in the meantime, you can explore the long history of Stephen King in film and television with my series Adapting Stephen King.