The Shining Spin-Off Series Overlook Not Moving Forward at HBO Max, Seeking New Home

In the spring of 2020 came news that some of the first TV shows from J.J. Abrams’ overall deal [...]

By Spencer Perry

In the spring of 2020 came news that some of the first TV shows from J.J. Abrams' overall deal with WarnerMedia were in the works, one of them a spinoff of Stephen King's The Shining titled "Overlook." Set to explore the origins of the haunted hotel, the Bad Robot-produced series was set to debut on HBO Max but a new report reveals that the streamer has "opted not to proceed" with the show. Deadline reveals that Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television are shopping the series around though with a new home expected to be announced soon, and Netflix being described as "a likely destination."

It was previously revealed that Overlook would feature iconic characters from the horror-thriller, and explore the untold, terrifying stories of the most famous haunted hotel in American fiction. Castle Rock alums, Dustin Thomason and Scott Brown, are attached to write and executive produce the series. The pair had previously collaborated Bad Robot and Warner Bros. TV on another Stephen King series, Hulu's two-season anthology Castle Rock. The trade reported that "HBO Max brass liked (Overlook) but felt it was not a fit for them at this time."

Beyond Overlook, Abrams' Bad Robot has other series still in the works for HBO Max including DC's Justice League Dark franchise, which reportedly has both a John Constantine and Madame Xanadu, and a 1970s crime drama called Duster. The fourth season of the Bad Robot-produced Westworld is also in production for HBO as well.

The Overlook series marks the latest attempt by WarnerMedia to capitalize on King's novel into other forms having previously developed an Overlook Hotel feature film in 2014, which would have been directed by Tales From the Loop's Mark Romanek with a script from The Walking Dead's Glen Mazzara.That project, which was dubbed a "prequel" to The Shining, ended up being stuck in development hell.

Warner Bros. ended up expanding the world of The Shining on the big screen in 2019, with the Ewan McGregor-led sequel Doctor Sleep. Director Mike Flanagan conceived of ideas for multiple other movies set within the world ahead of the film's opening, but its poor reception at the box office put the lid on those plans.

One of the projects that Flanagan conceived of was a project titled Hallorran, focusing on the early years of Dick Hallorran, the telepathic head chef at the Overlook Hotel played by Scatman Crothers in Stanely Kubrick's 1980 adaptation and by Carl Lumbly in Doctor Sleep.

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