James Franco has signed on to star in 11/22/63, a time-travel miniseries that's shaping up to be Hulu's highest-profile show yet. The show is based on a Stephen King novel of the same name, and it's being adapted for Hulu by J.J. Abrams' production company, Bad Robot. King and Abrams are executive producers of the show.
This is going to be a big show for Hulu
Between Franco, King, and Bad Robot, there's a ton of star power around this project and a decent chance that it will be the first Hulu series that gets people talking. Hulu has so far failed to make a major name for itself in original content, but lately, it's been looking for bigger names: aside from 11/22/63, it's also grabbed shows that will be produced by Amy Poehler and Jason Reitman.
In 11/22/63, Franco will star as a high school English teacher who travels back in time and tries to stop the assassination of President Kennedy. Franco will also serve as a producer of the series. Deadline reports that the series will run for nine episodes and that Hulu is open to ordering additional seasons that focus on other historical events. There's no date yet for when 11/22/63 will premiere.