HBO Max drops J.J. Abrams’ The Shining spinoff series Overlook
More than three decades after its release, Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film The Shining remains one of the most beloved adaptations of Stephen King’s work. Perhaps that’s why J.J. Abrams was so eager to tap into the story and its lore with a television series about the Overlook Hotel, simply called Overlook. Unfortunately, that tale won’t find a home on HBO Max.
The Hollywood Reporter reveals that the streamer had dropped the series, which it initially picked up back in 2019. It was supposed to be the first release under a $250 million deal between Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot, and WarnerMedia.
It’s unclear why WarnerMedia decided not to move forward with the project. However, it seems the rest of the shows planned under its deal with Bad Robot will continue without issue. A fourth season of Westworld is already in the works, and Abrams is set to direct the pilot of an upcoming science fiction series called Demimonde.
As HBO Max ramps up its DC content, Justice League Dark will also move forward on the platform. If it sticks to the comics, this DC series will follow characters like Constantine and Swamp Thing. However, casting and plot details haven’t been confirmed for the project just yet.
Other series still planned under the WarnerMedia and Bad Robot deal include Duster, a 1970s drama about “the life of a gutsy getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate,” and Subject to Change, a thriller about a college student signing up for a clinical trial that doesn’t go quite as planned.
Will another company pick up J.J. Abrams’ The Shining spinoff?
THR notes that other companies are already considering their options when it comes to Abrams’ The Shining series. Given the producer’s long-running career and the success of the original film, it seems likely the show will find a home elsewhere.
According to the outlet, Netflix is among the top bidders for the series. It would certainly fit in with the streamer’s recent focus with horror releases like its Fear Street trilogy. Overlook was one of the most exciting projects to be announced with the Bad Robot deal, so it would be a shame to let the premise go to waste.
After all, who doesn’t want to revisit a haunted hotel and have more run-ins with King’s ghosts?
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