Stephen King TV Show Cancelled Despite Season 2 Renewal, Writer Confirms

Chapelwaite, the television show based on a short story by Stephen King, has been cancelled despite a season 2 renewal. Adapted from King’s Jerusalem’s Lot, and debuting on Epix in 2021, the story takes place in 1850 and focuses on Captain Charles Boone (Adrien Brody) after the tragic death of his wife at sea. Along with his children, Boone returns to the small town of Preacher’s Corners in Maine. There, the family is confronted by a dark family history. The series was written by Peter and Jason Filardi and also starred Emily Hampshire, Jennifer Ens, Sirena Gulamgaus, and Ian Ho.

After the ending of Chapelwaite season 1, it has been confirmed by Filardi on Twitter, that there will be no Chapelwaite season 2 despite the fact that the adaptation was renewed in February 2022.

The showrunner thanked the fans but did not give a reason as to why Chapelwaite season 2 was cancelled. MGM+ (which is the rebranded name for Epix) did not comment on the cancellation, but it does fit a broader television trend.

Chapelwaite’s Cancellation Follows A Trend (But Stephen King Adaptations Are Going Strong)

There was no reason given for the Chapelwaite cancellation, but it follows a new trend. Over the summer, there have been rounds of cancellations and reversals of renewals across various streamers, including high-profile shows like The Peripheral at Prime Video and The Great at Hulu. This has been described by analysts as a course correction, as the coming years will see a decrease from the almost 600 U.S-based live-action scripted shows in 2022.

Despite the fate of Chapelwaite, the future is intriguing for Stephen King adaptations. There is Welcome to Derry, as the It prequel has a debut date of 2025 on Max. There’s also The Monkey, The Dark Tower, Fairy Tale, and more in different stages of development. But there is one big-ticket adaptation, a supernatural drama from Mike Flanagan, and it has assembled quite the cast.

The Life of Chuck from Flanagan, who created The Haunting of Hill House, includes familiar Flanagan collaborators and newcomers like Tom Hiddleston. It tells a story through different timelines, maintaining the haunting feeling of Chapelwaite — though it’s more intimate and personal in its stakes, which should resonate with King viewers and readers.