Yet, the Emmy-winningLostandAliashelmer was worried King would shy away from the idea of anindirectadaptation.

“I was not certain he would want it,” Abrams admits.

“I was not sure what his reaction would be.”

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What ran through your mind the first time you heard the pitch?

J.J. ABRAMS: It immediately felt like something I wanted to see.

Had you been familiar with their work?

I was a fan ofManhattan.

And Sam and Dusty reallydospeak that language.

You’ve brought King to screen before with11/22/63, also on Hulu.

When I spoke with Sam and Dusty, they both said your enthusiasm helped garner Stephen’s approval.

What was it like getting Stephen on board for something that wasn’t going to be a direct adaptation?

I was not certain that he would want it.

[Castle Rock] lives and breathes in a world that he created.

You were concerned he wouldn’t be into the idea, but what were your own concerns about it?

My biggest concern was, where do we do it?

Who’s going to play Ruth?

I don’t think we could have been luckier.

My concerns were really about living up to the standard that this kind of idea deserves.

The cautionary tale versions are all over the place, and this was too important to me.

Speaking of which, what has developing this been like compared to your other TV series?

When you’re working on something, ideally you’re putting your heart and soul into it.

More broadly speaking, when you look at pitches today, what do you prioritize?

It doesn’talwaysend up as something that you want to see, or what you thought it would be.

Sometimes it’s much better; other times, it’s not as good.

It’s always a bit of a leap of faith.

As a producer, all I can do is be honest, and I’m certainly not always right.

I just remember laughing because it felt like this was going to besomuch fun.

You haven’t directed a TV episode since the pilot ofUndercoversin 2010.

I would love to do television.

Since you mentioned it, where are you withEpisode IX?

How does it feel to wrap up a story after being the go-to guyforstartingthem?

When the time is right, I cannot wait to talk to you aboutEpisode IX.

Castle Rockpremieres July 25 on Hulu.