Stephen King: HBO to premiere The Outsider on January 12

HBO’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, The Outsider debuts Sunday, January 12.

The Outsider is adapted from Stephen King’s best-selling novel of the same name. Jason Bateman, Ben Mendelsohn, Cynthia Erivo and Julianne Nicholson star in the 9 episode new series on HBO which will be written by King and Richard Price.

Featured directors will include Andrew Bernstein, Jason Bateman and Charlotte Brandstrom. The series takes place in the family-friendly small town of Flint City, Oklahoma.

A horrible crime involving the gruesome death of 11-year-old Frankie Petersen sets the usually close-knit town in an uproar. Shocked and bewildered that something like this could happen in their town, there is a push to solve the crime immediately. All the evidence points to popular teacher Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman) who is also the Little League baseball coach.

Police detective Ralph Anderson (Ben Mendelsohn) feels betrayed because Maitland had taught his son, and in a spurt of anger arrests him at an ongoing game in front of spectators. While processing him for the boy’s murder, Ollie Peterson (Joshua Whichard) who is grieving the loss of his brother and parents shoots Maitland in front of the courthouse.

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While he is dying, Maitland proclaims his innocence. After his death, new evidence pours in showing him with plenty of witnesses attending an out-of-town English Conference . There is no way that he could have been in two places at once and suddenly, what looked like a cut-n-dry murder investigation takes a sinister turn.

Detective Anderson begins to question everything he thought he knew about what he believes and his investigative methods. He begins to reconsider the investigation using unorthodox techniques and enlisting the help of a woman who might have had personal experiences dealing with the murderer.

I read the novel and I’m really looking forward to this series. Even Stephen King made the statement that this adaptation “blew his mind,” which says a lot.

King is really good at horror stories, but he is even better at understanding how people react in emotional situations. His stories are not just about the monsters we face in the world but also our own inner monsters. If The Outsider stays true to the novel, then we are in for a knuckle gripping, suspenseful ride.

Take a look at the official trailer below which gives you a small taste of the upcoming rollercoaster ride of a series.

The Outsider debuts Sunday, Jan. 12 on HBO at 9 p.m.

What do you think of the latest Stephen King adaptation? Will you be watching the Outsider?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.