Stephen King’s New Crime Drama Praise Is A Reminder Of How Underrated His 3-Year-Old Apple TV Horror Show Is

Stephen King has shared his praise for Fargo season 5’s acting performances, which calls back to one standout cast member having previously starred in the author’s 2021 Apple TV+ show. The new cast and characters for Fargo season 5 earned the anthology show’s best reviews since season 2 in 2015, inspiring plenty of celebration for the 2023-2024 outing from acclaimed writers, actors, and filmmakers. Stephen King himself has begun to more frequently share his approval of certain TV shows on his Twitter feed, with the horror master’s praise providing the crime thriller with one of its most impactful recommendations.

In addition to calling it an example of “peak TV,” Stephen King praised Fargo season 5’s performances by Juno Temple, who stars as Dot, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, who portrays Dot’s wealthy mother-in-law, Lorraine. The two actors have already received substantial acclaim for their roles in the season, and King’s comments certainly add to the desire for Temple and Leigh to reunite for an adaptation of one of his thriller or horror novels in the future. Of course, Jennifer Jason Leigh is no stranger to Stephen King adaptations, as she also starred in a miniseries based on one of his books in 2021.

Stephen King Praising Jennifer Jason Leigh In Fargo Season 5 Calls Back To Her Stellar Performance In Lisey’s Story

King singling out Leigh’s incredible performance in Fargo season 5 is a reminder that she had another thrilling role in his 2021 miniseries Lisey’s Story. King actually wrote the scripts and was an executive producer for the TV adaptation of his 2006 horror book, so he was greatly involved in the production. The author had long expressed his desire to see the novel adapted for the screen, and seemingly had some input in casting Jennifer Jason Leigh as his character Darla Debusher.

Though Apple TV+’s Lisey’s Story show received mixed reviews regarding its story and pacing, the performances by the Debusher sister actors Julianne Moore, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Joan Allen received praise from critics. The show is among the most underrated Stephen King book adaptations, particularly due to the compelling performances by the lead actors. However, while Lisey’s Story divided critics and audiences, Leigh had previously starred in another Stephen King adaptation that was widely acclaimed by critics.

Jennifer Jason Leigh Also Starred In The Stephen King-Approved Adaptation Of His Book Dolores Claiborne

Stephen King’s responses to movie adaptations of his books vary greatly, but the 1995 movie Dolores Claiborne stands out as one of the screen adaptations of which the author had a positive opinion. The film version of King’s 1992 horror novel of the same name starred Misery’s Kathy Bates in the titular role, with Jennifer Jason Leigh playing her estranged daughter Selena St. George. According to Rolling Stone, Stephen King celebrated the Bates and Leigh-starring adaptation as a “really, really good film,” proving that the latter actress’ talents in thrillers have been impressing the author for decades prior to Fargo.

Lisey’s Story

Release Date

June 4, 2021

Cast

Jennifer Jason Leigh , Dane DeHaan , Julianne Moore , Ron Cephas Jones , Sung Kang , Clive Owen , Joan Allen

Streaming Service(s)

Apple TV+

Source: Rolling Stone