Chapelwaite Producers Talk Expanding the World of Stephen King's Jerusalem's Lot for EPIX Series

When it comes to bringing Stephen King stories to life, most filmmakers are tasked with having to [...]

By Patrick Cavanaugh

When it comes to bringing Stephen King stories to life, most filmmakers are tasked with having to translate those expansive stories into more digestible experiences, with even TV series struggling to capture the scope of his adventures. In the case of the upcoming series Chapelwaite, however, the filmmakers only had a few dozen pages of writing for the source material in Jerusalem's Lot, instead requiring them to actually add even more content to sustain the unsettling narrative over an entire 10-episode season, all while honoring the original story. Chapelwaite is set to premiere on EPIX on Sunday, August 22nd.

"The core of that story is really the pillar, obviously, of the series and it's quite true to that," producer Donald De Line explained to ComicBook.com. "I think what King did was set up so much interesting history with Charles Boone's family that's alluded to in the short story that he really laid that track open. And when [producers] Jason and Peter [Filardi] read the story, they had so many great ideas about how to then go into that past, that history, that mythology of the family, and really unfold it and draw the audience in emotionally to really get to know this family. And they brought in kids for Charles Boone to raise the stakes and create more family drama. That was really rich."

Chapelwaite is set in the 1850s and follows Captain Charles Boone (Adrien Brody), who relocates his family of three children to his ancestral home in the small, seemingly sleepy town of Preacher's Corners, Maine after his wife dies at sea. However, Charles will soon have to confront the secrets of his family's sordid history, and fight to end the darkness that has plagued the Boones for generations.

For Peter Filardi, adapting Stephen King wasn't something he was entirely unfamiliar with, having previously written adaptations of Salem's Lot and Nightmares and Dreamscapes. As for what the future might hold, the filmmaker hasn't started considering other King projects quite yet.

"There are some, there's certainly some stories from his past, his history that I've always loved and liked, but boy, he's churning out new stuff all the time that's so equally compelling," Filardi admitted of other King works he'd like to adapt. "I'm eager. I would love to get in on one of his new ones. Nothing I can commit to."

Chapelwaite is set to premiere on EPIX on Sunday, August 22nd.

Are you looking forward to the new series? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

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