Prime Video is filming a Stephen King story in the London suburb it is named after

Stephen King’s horror back catalogue must be giving the TV world a mild case of insomnia, because there’s yet another adaptation in the works—this time set right in our backyard. Crouch End, King’s creepy tale based in North London, is being turned into a six-part limited series for Prime Video. If you’re keeping score, this is the first proper Stephen King TV project to actually shoot in the UK, unless you count those obscure 'Dollar Baby' student films, which frankly, most people don’t.

‘Stephen King is one of the defining storytellers of our time, and we’re thrilled to bring his Lovecraftian tale to life in London with Crouch End.’

That’s Prime Video’s Nicole Clemens, VP over at International Originals, making it sound like they’re on a mission. And with the assembling line-up, they might be.

Loving the Lovecraft (via North London)

Crouch End was published all the way back in 1980, nicking its name from the very real bit of North London. King originally dropped it into an anthology called New Tales of the Cthulhu Mythos—because this one’s basically a love letter (in a very grim envelope) to H.P. Lovecraft. Later, King recycled the story for his Nightmares & Dreamscapes collection. It’s packed with nods to Lovecraft’s brand of horror—otherworldly portals, lurking weirdness, and a city that’s not as ordinary as it looks after dark.

Now, Prime Video have given a full green light to expand the short story into a supernatural crime series, landing Paul Tomalin (from the Netflix hit Bodies) to handle the adaptation. Direction comes from Tom Shankland (Berlin Noir, The Serpent), both working with Mammoth Screen and Fifth Season—production outfits probably best known for, well, producing a lot of British TV that’s better than most imports. Word is, casting is 'generating a lot of interest,' which might be Variety-speak for 'about to land someone famous.'

‘After reading Crouch End some years back, Stephen King’s vivid prose has haunted my nightmares ever since. Having the honour to adapt it with the incredible team at Mammoth, Fifth Season and Amazon alongside director Tom Shankland is a dream come true. I couldn’t be more excited to bring this thrilling tale to the screen.’

That’s Tomalin, clearly not just on this for the paycheque.

The Premise: London Gets Stranger

Plot-wise, the new version chucks a global movie star—Doris Freeman—into the mix, who runs into a London police station with a wild story. She claims her husband’s vanished, possibly thanks to something more than just standard London weirdness—'strange phenomena', according to the official synopsis. Enter police inspector Ted Vetter, who has to untangle whether Doris is delusional, a murderer, or if something even stranger is going on. They’re sticking with King’s sense of unease, but reworking it as a supernatural thriller that’ll likely wander far beyond the narrow streets of King’s original text.

Here’s a quick breakdown for anyone needing the basics:

• Crouch End was originally published in 1980 and set in the real-life London borough.
• This is the first Stephen King TV adaptation to actually film in the UK (student projects aside).
• Paul Tomalin (Bodies) writes, Tom Shankland (Berlin Noir, The Serpent) directs; produced by Mammoth Screen and Fifth Season.
• Plot follows movie star Doris Freeman and Inspector Ted Vetter as they investigate a bizarre disappearance with supernatural overtones.
• No casting announced yet, but apparently big names are circling.
• There’s no release date yet. Not even a rough guess.

Crouch End is King’s first major UK-produced TV adaptation, with Prime Video ordering a six-part series.

If you want the cultural twist, the actual neighbourhood of Crouch End has—somewhat ironically—become a little industry hub since King dreamt up the story. These days, you’ll find plenty of writers, producers, and jobbing actors wandering the High Street, just probably not vanishing into alternate dimensions (yet).