For Constant Readers of Stephen King, Castle Rock’s first season was a delightful romp through the author’s ever-expanding literary and cinematic universe. Season two will continue that trend, welcoming iconic character Annie Wilkes into the fold.
Wilkes was portrayed to Oscar-winning perfection by Kathy Bates in the 1990 film adaptation of Misery. In Castle Rock, a younger version of the psychotic nurse and number-one-fan will be played by Lizzy Caplan (Cloverfield). Struggling with mental health issues, Wilkes finds herself waylaid in Castle Rock where her presence is sure to leave tensions running high.
Wilkes will not be the only classic Stephen King connection appearing in the second season. Tim Robbins, famous for his portrayal of Andy Dufresne in The Shawshank Redemption, is also joining the cast. He’ll play Reginald “Pop” Merrill, the patriarch of a crime family who is dying of cancer.
Since the first season of Castle Rock centred heavily around Shawshank Penitentiary, it will be fascinating to see Robbins returning to that world 25 years after the beloved film was released. Will there be easter eggs for King fans? Maybe the better question is, how many?
Words: Samantha McLaren (@themeatispeople)
