James Franco Will Travel Back in Time in Hulu's 11/22/63

Stephen King's novel is the basis for the new series

By Chris Harnick Feb 12, 2015 8:00 PMTags
James Franco, Berlinale International Film FestivalPascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

James Franco is heading to Hulu. The Oscar nominee and former star of Freaks and Geeks will star in the Hulu original series, 11/22/63, the series based on Stephen King's best-selling 2011 novel.

In the show, which is from J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions and Warner Bros. Television, Franco will play Jake Epping, a high school English teacher who travels back in time to prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. However, not everything goes as planned for Jake Epping as he must contend with Lee Harvey Oswald, falling in love and the past itself "which doesn't want to be changed."

The show is described a "nine-hour event series." Bridget Carpenter is an executive producer on the show. In addition to the beloved series Freaks and Geeks, Franco's other TV work includes The Mindy Project, General Hospital and 30 Rock. He received SAG, Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for 127 Hours. Up next for him is the film True Story.

11/22/63 is just one of a few high-profile shows in development at Hulu. Billy Eichner and Julia Klausner are currently filming Difficult People, an original comedy.

No premiere date for 11/22/63 has been announced yet.