Header image illustration credit: Alice Duke
Summary
- Ninth House, a new TV show adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s book, has the potential to be a success, according to Stephen King.
- King praised the book for its realistic characters, shocks and twists, indicating that the TV show will also be worth watching.
- With its dark fantasy and Gothic elements, Ninth House appeals to horror fans, YA fantasy fans, and adult viewers looking for something different, making it a unique hit for Amazon.
Back when Leigh Bardugo’s book first came out, Stephen King secretly revealed why Amazon’s Ninth House TV show adaptation is set to be a success. Ninth House will be the second TV adaptation of a Bardugo book series, after Shadow & Bone on Netflix, and this time, it’s being developed for Amazon. Those who are only familiar with Shadow & Bone as a book series or TV show may be a bit surprised to see the different tone taken by Ninth House.
Ninth House revolves around the character of Galaxy “Alex” Stern, a 20-year-old freshman at Yale University. She’s a high school dropout with a horrific past, being the survivor of a homicide cast. Adding to that, she has the ability to see ghosts, which she calls “Grays.” Despite her suspect past, she’s offered a free ride to Yale by a mysterious benefactor, who gives Alex the opportunity on the condition she uses her powers to monitor Yale’s powerful underground secret societies that traffic in dark occult magic. It’s a departure from what is normally seen on TV, but Stephen King himself already unwittingly explained why it can be a huge hit.
Stephen King Had High Praise For Ninth House–Which Says A Lot
When the Ninth House book was released, Stephen King praised it, saying it was “the best fantasy novel [he’d] read in years.” He also had a lot of love for the realistic characters, as well as the “shocks and twists” the story had to offer. It should be noted that Stephen King, in recent years, has done quite a few book jacket quotes for upcoming and hyped debut novels. One of the fastest ways to get a boost is getting a stamp of approval from the king. Still, King doesn’t promote bad work, and one can be assured that if he’s recommending a book, it’s one worth reading.
It also indicates that Amazon’s Ninth House show will be one worth watching. King’s recommendations also cover multiple genres, but he tends to stick with those of a darker theme. His backing of Ninth House hints at the kind of story to expect–and why it has the potential to be a huge hit. At his heart, he’s still the King of Horror, after all, and Ninth House fits that mold. It’s technically labeled a “dark fantasy,” but Ninth House has enough Gothic and supernatural elements that position it squarely between the worlds of horror and fantasy. It’s darker and more adult in tone than Bardugo’s previous work, meaning the Ninth House TV show has the potential to bring in three different audiences: horror fans, YA fantasy fans, and adult viewers looking for something different.
Ninth House Could Be A Different Kind Of Hit For Amazon
Amazon has undoubtedly had some huge hits with its original series, and Ninth House is poised to be another one for the streamer. Of all the major streaming platforms, Amazon has arguably shown it’s the most willing to go to dark, adult places with its series. That gives the Ninth House TV show the room to explore and be more mature than it might be on other platforms. It also doesn’t fit neatly into any one genre in a way that’s different from other current Amazon series. It’s one part fantasy, one part mystery, one part supernatural horror, and one part character study, all wrapped up in the unique Gothic academia setting that is Yale’s dark underbelly.
If done right, Ninth House has the potential to be the kind of show that gets viewers talking and keeps them guessing. There are plenty of mysteries that surround Alex Stern and her story, but all of them feel earned. The Ninth House TV show won’t have to worry about manufacturing mystery that feels forced, or shoving upon the audience a hollow mystery box structure that offers no real payoff. There’s real horror and real heartbreak. If the writers’ room pulls off the same magic that delighted Stephen King with the TV adaptation, the Ninth House show could make for some pretty excellent TV.