Stephen King’s Overlooked Series Returns for a Third Installment—And the Duffer Brothers Are Huge Fans
Horror master Stephen King, famed for unleashing Pennywise onto the world, nearly joined forces with Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers for a chilling series adaptation—until the project vanished into thin air.
Let’s talk about 'The Talisman'—something that’s one of Stephen King’s classic fever dreams, yet almost completely untouched by Hollywood. If you’ve been hoping for a live-action ‘Talisman’ series, I’ve got some bad news (but a couple of interesting twists, too).
‘The Talisman’: The One That Got Away
So, if you don’t already know, 'The Talisman' isn’t just some obscure King story. It’s a 1984 fantasy-horror novel King co-wrote with Peter Straub. It’s actually spawned a sequel (‘Black House’ in 2001), and believe it or not, the dynamic duo is finally working on a third installment. For now, the creative title is—wait for it—‘Talisman 3’.
What’s kind of wild is that 'The Talisman' has NEVER been adapted for the screen. Not a movie, not a series, nothing. Hollywood’s just tossed the rights around for decades. Even Steven Spielberg’s had the rights since Reagan was president, and still—crickets. Let that sink in.
Netflix + Duffer Brothers + Spielberg = ...Nothing?
If you were excited when you heard Netflix (along with the Duffer Brothers—yep, Matt and Ross, the 'Stranger Things' guys) were planning a ‘Talisman’ series, you weren’t alone. Spielberg, the Duffer Brothers, and Amblin Entertainment were all supposed to be onboard. Sounds like a blockbuster in the making, right?
Well, in what feels like the least surprising “development hell” twist ever, the project has fallen apart. In December 2025, the Duffers came out and officially killed the hype:
'Sadly, Talisman is no longer at Netflix, so we’re not involved… It’s been in development forever, so I’m sorry that we were not the ones to break the curse.'
Matt Duffer even recalled reading a script for a ‘Talisman’ adaptation back in his college internship days, so this story’s been doomed to limbo for ages.
Quick Timeline: The Talisman Saga
- 1984: ‘The Talisman’ is published.
- 2001: King and Straub release the sequel, ‘Black House’.
- 2021: Word leaks that Netflix, Spielberg, and the Duffers are teaming up for a series adaptation—fans start to hope.
- 2025: Project is dead at Netflix. The series never gets ordered.
- Sometime soon(ish): King and Straub are working on the third book—still untitled, but being called ‘Talisman 3’ for now.
What Are The Duffers Doing Now?
The Duffer Brothers aren’t just sitting around—they’re already moving onto the next gig. With ‘Stranger Things’ winding down at Netflix, they’re now working with Paramount. Their next show is a sci-fi mystery called ‘The Boroughs’. Expect to see some pretty solid talent here: Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, Alfre Woodard, and Bill Pullman are all on board. The Duffers told Deadline they’ve already checked out the first three episodes and are actually excited, which has to mean something.
Final Thought
So, will ‘The Talisman’ ever actually get adapted? With Spielberg and the Duffers out, and the story’s decades-long track record of bad luck, I wouldn’t count on it. But hey—you can always grab the original novel (and its two sequels) if you’re desperate for a trip through King’s multiverse. And if you’re just here for the Duffer Brothers, ‘Stranger Things’ is still hanging out on Netflix.