Stephen King’s 11.22.63 is thriving on Netflix, and it’s coming at a perfect time. Although there is no shortage of King adaptations on the way, most notably Mike Flanagan’s Carrie headed for Prime Video, there is a bit of a lull in seeing the author’s works on-screen at the moment. It: Welcome to Derry recently concluded, and The Institute season 2 doesn’t yet have a premiere date.

The addition of 11.22.63 serves as a temporary fix. Although it was one of Hulu’s first originals, predating The Handmaid’s Tale and Ramy, it was removed from the streamer in early 2024. The sci-fi thriller, which stars James Franco, later resurfaced on the free platform Tubi before landing on Netflix in the U.S. as part of a licensing deal between the streaming juggernaut and Warner Bros. Television, which produced 11.22.63.

11.22.63 unfolds across eight episodes, centering on Jake Epping (played by Franco), a teacher who travels back in time to prevent President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. But he finds that his mission gets increasingly complicated once he builds emotional connections around his life. It’s based on King’s 2011 novel of the same name, with Emmy-nominated Westworld and Friday Night Lights producer Bridget Carpenter developing the adaptation.

Chris Cooper, Sarah Gadon, Lucy Fry, George MacKay, Daniel Webber, Cherry Jones, T.R. Knight, and Josh Duhamel also star in 11.22.63. The thriller was met with largely positive reviews, with some critics faulting the story’s pacing and the episode count being longer than it requires. It sits at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 64 reviews, with an audience score of 88%.

The buzzy sci-fi came at a different time during the streaming wars, when both critics and general audiences had fewer viewing options and a star-driven limited drama still seemed rare. Over the past decade, it has become one of the least discussed King adaptations. But with its addition to Tubi and now Netflix, 11.22.63 and its source material are both getting a second look.