Stephen King Easter Eggs in New ‘Castle Rock’ Teaser

In a year full of Stephen King adaptations, it’s possible that the project we’re most excited for is one of the most ambitious attempts to adapt the author’s work, which is the upcoming Hulu series Castle Rock.

For anyone familiar with the author’s stories, you’ll know that the fictional town of Castle Rock is considered an epicenter of many of King’s tales. Whether a story unfolds there or if a character merely visits there, it’s the author’s favorite fictional town.

The new series, which comes to Hulu in 2018, will take place in the mythical town and feature appearances and references to some of the author’s seminal stories.

The trailer alone has plenty of nods to the author’s works, ranging from murderous fans to killer clowns to rabid dogs.

Scroll down to see some of the references to King’s most popular stories!

It

While it might seem a little “on the nose” to reference one of the biggest Stephen King adaptations of all time, it also makes perfect sense that a trailer would want to connect to audiences with the most accessible story.

In the trailer for Castle Rock, we see a “Missing Child” poster that’s pulled out of a box, which looks eerily reminiscent of the posters used in the marketing campaign for the recent adaptation of IT.

The story of IT unfolds in Derry, ME, as children have begun disappearing at the hands of a monstrous entity that’s been tormenting the town. 

Additionally, the trailer shows multiple shots of underground lairs and sewers, which are featured locations in IT.

Misery

In King’s Misery, a deranged fan happens to come across her favorite author in an automobile accident on a snowy road. She comes to his rescue, but when she discovers what happens to her favorite character in a new book, she forces him to stay until he writes a new novel.

One of the most famous sequences in the story is a scene in which the fan, Annie Wilkes, takes a sledgehammer to the writer’s ankles, incapacitating him indefinitely.

We don’t know much about the woman who appears in the Castle Rock trailer wielding a hammer, but given the infamous sequence and the haircut of the woman, we can’t help but think of Annie.

Cujo

In Cujo, a mild-mannered St. Bernard chases a rabbit down a rabbit hole, only to get its face stuck. A rabid bat tries to escape the hole, giving the lovable dog rabies. Cujo then turns on his owners and anyone who gets in his path.

In the trailer, we get to see a very ferocious Rottweiler, which clearly isn’t remotely similar to a St. Bernard. It’s possible that Castle Rock wanted to merely tease the terrifying pooch without completely revealing its hand, but we also can’t help but assume all ferocious dogs could be Cujo.

Interestingly, in the film Gerald’s Game on Netflix, based on a Stephen King story, one of the characters referred to a vicious dog as Cujo, in addition to the adaptation of The Dark Tower featuring a St. Bernard roaming the city streets. The powerful dog has been a favorite go-to King reference this year.

The Shawshank Redemption

King has built himself a massive reputation for being the master of the macabre, with many audiences unaware that he’s regularly delved into more straightforward drama.

In Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, which was adapted into the film The Shawshank Redemption, a man is locked up for the double murder of his wife and her assumed lover. While there, the man gains a new understanding on life and a new outlook on the world, after connecting with men inside the prison whom he would never have crossed paths with in the real world.

One of the more obvious connections in the trailer involves a car with a bumper sticker that presumably allows access to the Shawshank Correctional Facility, potentially implying the prison will play a large part in the series.

The Shining

Arguably one of the most famous of all Stephen King stories, the trailer for Castle Rock potentially contains two different references to the story.

One of the references is potentially a shot of water, or possibly blood, flowing down a staircase. In the film adaptation of The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick, one of the most famous shots is that of blood spilling out of an elevator. The water on the stairs might not be a direct homage, but it still looks quite familiar.

In another potentially subtle reference to The Shining, we see a glimpse of a mascot on a rooftop. The mascot is wearing a sweater for the town, emblazoned with the letters “CR,” but devout King fans might think there’s more to this cuddly character.

In the original book, a masquerade party at the Overlook Hotel leads to some sexual liaisons amongst guests, including those wearing furry costumes. One sequence of the film, in which Shelley Duvall’s character sees a man in costume in a bedroom with another man, references this scene from the book with subtlety, which this mascot could also be doing.

 Castle Rock comes to Hulu next year.