The Shining spinoff series Overlook headed to HBO Max from J.J. Abrams

J.J. Abrams
(Image credit: Jesse Grant / Getty Images)

Here's J.J.!

J.J. Abrams has his first shows for the upcoming streaming service HBO Max lined up after signing a production deal with WarnerMedia last year, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Among them is Overlook, a series the Reporter describes as exploring "the untold, terrifying stories" of the hotel from Stephen King's The Shining, featuring "iconic characters from the horror thriller."

Dustin Thomason and Scott Brown will reportedly write and produce after having worked on Castle Rock, another Abrams-produced series based on King's work, for Hulu. Overlook would be the latest project set in the world of The Shining after Doctor Sleep, a film adaptation of King's own The Shining sequel that featured a return to the Overlook Hotel and was a box office disappointment.

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A second series Abrams has in the works is a show based DC's Justice League Dark, a team that in the comics has included characters like Swamp Thing and Deadman. And the third show is a 1970s-set drama called Duster which the Reporter says "revolves around the life of a gutsy getaway driver for a growing crime syndicate who goes from awful to wildly, stupidly, dangerously awful."

HBO Max's Chief Content Officer Kevin Reilly in a statement called this an "amazing start to our association" with Abrams' company Bad Robot, expressing excitement over "Warner Bros. letting them loose on iconic IP from Stephen King." HBO Max is slated to launch in May and cost $15 a month.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.