Britain’s Stephen King-Inspired Bestseller Officially Getting Adapted By Apple TV

Cover Video International Published Aug 10, 2026, 3:16 PM EDT Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019 and is now one of the leading contributors of the TV News team. Having written over 4000 news stories in that time , with his work cited in Buzzfeed and TV Insider, he's always bemoaning that there's too many shows and not enough time. You can contact him at: aalghamdi@hey.com. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Apple TV is moving forward with an adaptation that will appeal to Stephen King fans. The streamer has had relatively few run-ins with pure horror shows, though what it has offered has generally been well-regarded. Servant, executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan, has been reclaimed as an underrated gem. Widow's Bay, a cleverly episodic horror comedy, gained buzz and became a surprisingly formidable player at the Emmys after a quick season 2 renewal. Apple TV may have just found its next horror hit by teaming with the Oscar-winning Alfonso Cuarón for the new drama Ascension. The project has been ordered to series, and Outlander's Caitríona Balfe has been cast in the lead role. It's inspired by the 2012 novel Last Days by author Adam Nevill, who has been dubbed Britain's answer to Stephen King by The Guardian, and promises to focus on innocence and evil at the highest level. In particular, Ascension centers on Rose (played by Balfe), who is described as a “relentless documentary filmmaker and recently divorced mother” in the official press release. Though she may be great at revealing the truth of others, she struggles with her own. She soon begins to focus on a mysterious 20th-century cult known as the Church of Ascension. At first, she finds comfort in the teachings. But as the story progresses, Rose “discovers something far more insidious beneath.” The project, which marks a major television role for Balfe since the end of Outlander earlier this year, hails from Apple Studios. It will be co-showrun by Natalie Erika James and Christian White, who previously worked on Apartment 7A and Relic. The duo will also write the series, alongside Alfonso Cuarón and Carlos Cuarón, with James serving as lead director on Ascension​​​​​​. Balfe executive produces, in addition to starring. The cult horror-drama comes through as part of Alfonso Cuarón's overall deal with Apple via his production company Esperanto Filmoj, and Anonymous Content producing. It marks a milestone for Cuarón, who had been working on the series for several years. At one point, Casey Affleck was attached to star. Cuarón, the director of Gravity, Roma, Y tu mamá también, and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, previously teamed with Apple TV on the Cate Blanchett-led thriller Disclaimer. His latest fits more firmly into the horror realm, and it's boosted by some great inspiration. Apple TV