HBO Is Bringing Stephen King’s THE OUTSIDER To Television

Very exciting news today, Stephen King fans: according to Variety, HBO just placed an order for a series adaptation of Stephen King's The Outsider, and they've hired up one helluva creative team to make it happen: Jason Bateman will direct the first two episodes, and none other than Ben Mendelsohn will headline the series.

For those unfamiliar with the novel, The Outsider concerns the gruesome murder of a young boy in Oklahoma. Following a positive ID from several eyewitnesses, the local little league coach is arrested for the murder...but further investigation reveals that the coach has airtight alibis in another town at the time the murder took place. How can one man be in the same place at the same time, and how does it all relate to a town hundreds of miles away, in Texas? 

All told, The Outsider's something of a blend of several Stephen King properties, featuring a little bit of The Colorado Kid, a smidge of From a Buick 8 and a strong dose of IT. In classic King fashion, it starts a lot stronger than it finishes, but it'll make for a solid event series. Plus, this version will have Mendelsohn. You gonna say no to that? I'm not.

As for Bateman directing: this'll be the actor's first foray into full-blown horror, but it won't be his first time behind the camera - dude's directed two movies (Bad Words, The Family Fang) and several episodes of Netflix's Ozark, which he also stars in. Maybe he's not the first person we'd have thought of for this particular gig, but it's admittedly a compelling choice.

Nothing further to report at this time, but rest assured we'll be keeping you informed as further updates on The Outsider roll in. Stay tuned.