How much do you know about NOS4A2? Well, if you’re a fan of the horror genre, you’ll definitely want to sink your teeth into this show.
AMC’s adaptation of the bestselling horror novel stars American Horror Story alumni Zachary Quinto in the lead role, and is based on the chilling novel from author Joe Hill — who just so happens to be the son of legendary horror novelist Stephen King. And according to King, NOS4A2 is going to deliver plenty of scares.
During a recent episode of Mick Garris’s Post Mortem podcast, King revealed that he’d seen footage from the show, which is set to premiere on AMC on June 2nd. Long story short: He was totally blown away by what he saw.
The premise of NOS4A2 sounds like the stuff of nightmares: The story centers around a young artist named Victoria “Vic” McQueen, portrayed by talented newcomer Ashleigh Cummings. Vic possesses a supernatural gift for finding lost objects.
By riding her motorcycle across the rickety Shorter Way Bridge, Vic is teleported to the exact location of these missing objects. But even with her powers, Vic’s life hasn’t been easy. As a teenager in 1986, she had her first terrifying encounter with Charles Manx, a vampiric child abductor who possesses supernatural gifts of his own.
Manx drives a sleek 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith complete with a vanity plate that reads “NOS4A2,” a Hungarian-Romanian word originating in the 1800s that means ‘vampire’, but also a possible nod to the 1922 vampire film Nosferatu. Manx snatches up children as he pleases, driving down hidden roads that take him to a dark, twisted place known as Christmasland.
In Christmasland, every day is Christmas. Happiness is a requirement, and sadness is punishable by law. And there’s always a lingering scent of gingerbread… But as you’ve probably guessed, Christmasland isn’t a remotely jolly place. Manx feeds off the souls of all the children he abducts, and then dumps their remains in Christmasland.
Although Vic escaped Manx’s clutches as a teenager, the experience left her psychologically scarred. Fast-forward 22 years to 2008, and Vic is all grown up, with a family of her own. Though she does her best to forget about Manx, he clearly hasn’t forgotten about her. Back in his Wraith, he tools through town and eventually finds a new passenger to pick up — Vic’s son. The question is: Can Vic save her son, or will Manx ultimately destroy them both?
Judging by King’s comments, you can expect NOS4A2 to take you on a thrill ride that pulls out all the stops in the horror department.
Joe Hill has managed to make a name for himself in the exact same genre as his father, which is obviously no small feat, and he created something unique with NOS4A2, a book that manages to be every bit as scary as King’s best work. It remains to be seen just how closely the series follows the novel, but it’s worth noting that NOS4A2 received rave reviews upon its release in 2013. In its roundup of the staff’s favorite books of that year, The AV Club wrote that
“[NOS4A2] reads like an IT-era book by his father, Stephen King, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Time magazine was equally bold in its praise, writing that
“[Joe Hill’s book is] a rich study of human evil and a lavish display of raw writing talent.”
Just how frightening will NOS4A2 turn out to be? Find out when the series premieres June 2nd on AMC.