Reading Stephen King’s “Jerusalem’s Lot,” one immediately recognizes the inherent challenges that would exist in adapting it. Set in the mid-1800s, it’s a quick epistolary short story that almost exclusively focuses on a single character, and the nature of it demands that any TV series/movie version would need to add quite a lot to what exists on the page (perpetually a risky proposition in the history of King adaptations). That being said, the challenge of bringing this material into live action has been taken on by the new Epix series Chapelwaite, and despite its deviations it has earned a big seal of approval from the author.
Having first premiered back in August, Chapelwaite is now getting set to air the eighth episode of its debut season, and if you aren’t watching already, then Stephen King recommends that you amend that course of action. He first complemented the show back in the early weeks of it airing, calling it an “excellent, creepy expansion of [his] story, but he gets even more effusive in his latest Tweet about the adaptation:
CHAPELWAITE (EPIX) is very, very good. Balls-to-the-wall gothic horror. All thriller, no filler.October 14, 2021
“Jerusalem’s Lot” holds a special place in the canon of Stephen King in that the vast majority of his work is contemporary – and if not contemporary, then at least set in the 20th century. Gothic horror is not typically a subgenre that fans associate with his work, but all the same it’s very much at the heart of the short story, and King clearly enjoys how it has been expanded for Chapelwaite (I suppose that’s what could be called the polite translation of the description “Balls-to-the-wall gothic horror.”
Created by Jason and Peter Filardi, the series stars Adrien Brody as Captain Charles Boone, a single father of three who, following the death of his wife, travels back to his ancestral home in Preacher’s Corners, Maine – an estate known as Chapelwaite. Boone attempts to start a new life for his family in the town, trying to reinvigorate the local mill and hiring a governess (Emily Hampshire) to care for the children, but adjusting is made difficult. The community believe that the Boone name is cursed and has brought a deadly plague… and what’s scary is that they may be right.
It’s been a good year for Stephen King adaptations, as not only is Chapelwaite a treat for fans of the author, but this summer we also got to see the release of Lisey’s Story on Apple TV+. Both are wonderful interpretations of King’s work – he actually wrote all of the teleplays for the latter himself – and if you haven’t already watched, now is definitely the time to dig in (it is spooky season, after all).
If your interest is now piqued, you can head on over to Epix and find the first two episodes of Chapelwaite streaming for free. If you have a subscription, either through your cable provider or through Amazon, you’ll be able to watch the full season starting this Sunday, October 17. And if you’re interested in learning about all of the Stephen King adaptations that are presently in the works, check out our Upcoming Stephen King Movies & TV guide.
