My fellow fiends, I come bearing tragic news that’s a true pain in the neck for horror fans. EPIX has officially pulled the plug on ‘Chapelwaite’, the gothic Stephen King adaptation that pitted Oscar-winner Adrien Brody against bloodthirsty terrors in 1850s Maine.
Showrunner Jason Filardi broke the news that season 2 would not be creeping forward, despite a renewal back in 2022. For those who missed this criminally underseen gem, ‘Chapelwaite’ followed Brody’s character Charles Boone as he moved his family into their ancestral home of Chapelwaite manor, only to confront the sinister secrets and supernatural forces plaguing the Boone lineage.
With EPIX rebranding as MGM+ earlier this year, the writing seemed to be on the wall for our beloved ‘Chapelwaite’. But that doesn’t make it sting any less, just as we were sinking our teeth into a lavish gothic vampire tale laced with classic King family trauma and human drama. Emily Hampshire as the ambitious writer uncovering Chapelwaite’s mysteries was a particular highlight, as her character’s novel promised to unleash even more salacious Boone family skeletons.
For this passionate purveyor of grisly, goth-slanted goods, ‘Chapelwaite’ felt like the perfect blend of prestige production values and cheeky King-style fun. Adrien Brody devoured the tormented patriarch role while still eliciting empathy for his plight. And the show leaned into its pulpy strengths instead of shying away.
Even if MGM+ doesn’t make the cancellation official, the showrunner’s words speak for themselves – we have indeed been tragically deprived of further visits to the sinister stomping grounds of Chapelwaite manor. Here’s praying the upcoming ‘Salem’s Lot’ remake can resurrect this era of King bloodsucking goodness. But for now, let’s pour one out for the all-too-brief biting brilliance of ‘Chapelwaite’ – felled before its time by the most dastardly villain of all….network executives!
