HBO to become a series.
That series was indeed released earlier in 2020 and proved to be a hit for HBO, with the finale episode drawing 2.2 million viewers across all platforms. With heavy-hitting writers like Richard Price and Dennis Lehane involved, along with episode directors like Jason Bateman (who also starred) and Karyn Kusama, it was no surprise the series captivated audiences while unspooling its increasingly bizarre and disturbing mysteries. The show’s cast was also strong, with headliners including the aforementioned Bateman, Ben Mendelsohn, Bill Camp, Julianne Nicholson, Mare Winningham and Paddy Considine. But the standout performer was clearly Cynthia Erivo, playing recurring King character Holly Gibney, an eccentric savant with OCD whose gifts help her sniff out the supernatural entity responsible for the story’s string of grisly murders.
While season 1 certainly left the door open for further stories, HBO has yet to officially confirm that it’s going forward with season 2. But now the network may not need to confirm because King himself seemingly let the cat out of the bag in an interview with EW, saying "...There's going to be a second season of The Outsider as soon as they can get the production going." When asked if he knows what direction season 2 might be headed story-wise, he said:
“I know exactly where it’s going because I have seen some of the scripts. I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you. I’ll just say that it’s really great and a real spooky paranormal element.”
The paranormal of course figured heavily in El Cuco did not really die in the cave at the end of season 1).
Considering the success of The Outsider season 1, it’s really no surprise to see the writing process moving forward on season 2. While the first season in fact exhausted all the material of King's book, there’s clearly plenty of more story that could be told, especially with the character of Holly Gibney who emerged as a rich and interesting figure. Whether Holly’s story is set to take a very dark turn thanks to El Cuco’s scratch, or writers have something surprising and different in store for audiences, fans of intense supernatural mystery certainly have a lot to look forward to with The Outsider season 2. Obviously, King's own "as soon as they can get production going" caveat makes it seem the wait for season 2 might be long.
Source: EW