Why Stephen King's Castle Rock Was Canceled After Just Two Seasons

"Castle Rock," the horror anthology series based on the works of Stephen King, came to an end in 2019. According to a 2020 Deadline report, the decision to end the series after two seasons had to do with some behind-the-scenes network business. "Castle Rock" was produced by Warner Bros., which had begun producing original content for HBO Max — and at that point in time, Warner Bros. producing a new show for the Disney-owned Hulu would've been a little like Coke inventing a drink for Pepsi to sell. Warner Bros. did not plan to move "Castle Rock" to HBO Max.

On the one hand, it's really a shame that the show didn't get a third installment since it was both beloved by viewers and critics alike. On the other, the series actually went out on a high note, leaving a legacy that wasn't stained by weak or unnecessary plotlines. 

"Castle Rock" ran on Hulu between 2018 and 2019 for two seasons and was set in a Stephen King multiverse, following new characters as well as already-familiar faces from King lore. Most famously, the show featured Annie Wilkes (played by Lizzy Caplan) in Season 2, but also brought back characters from classic King adaptations like John "Ace" Merrill (Paul Sparks) from "Stand by Me," and referenced several others. Viewers certainly appreciated that aspect since the series generally received high scores on IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic, too. Sadly, the show didn't survive the early phase of the streaming wars.

It also may be worth noting that "It: Chapter Two" hit theaters just a few months before "Castle Rock" concluded. Now that we know Warner Bros. intended to expand the "It" franchise with "IT: Welcome to Derry," it's probably not too far-fetched to speculate that the company didn't want to oversaturate the market with supernatural horror-in-a-small-town-centric Stephen King adaptations.