Netflix Is Losing a Must-Watch Stephen King Horror Series This December

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Stephen King poses for photographers as he arrives for a press conference dedicated to presenting his new book "Doctor Sleep" on November 12, 2013, in Paris. AFP PHOTO / ERIC FEFERBERG (Photo by Eric Feferberg / AFP) (Photo by ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP via Getty Images)

TV shows come and go on Netflix. If you’re a horror fan, you’ll watch everything Stephen King on the streaming giant, but there’s a limited time left to watch one of his best adaptations, “Castle Rock.”

The first season of “Castle Rock” is slated to leave Netflix next month. Here’s what we know about the departure and where you will be able to binge-watch the horror anthology afterward.

When Is ‘Castle Rock’ Leaving Netflix?

According to What’s On Netflix, “Castle Rock” Season 1 is leaving the streaming platform. It’s only the first season, although both seasons of the horror anthology are available to stream. This could be a mistake, and the second season could also be leaving.

You have until Dec. 14, 2026, to binge-watch the episodes. The departure date is Dec. 15, and it usually happens around midnight PT.

Why Is ‘Castle Rock’ Leaving Netflix?

Both seasons joined Netflix on Dec. 16, 2025. It looks like it was for a one-year license, and now that agreement is coming to an end. This is perfectly normal and standard for third-party releases.

When “Castle Rock” was first added, it was part of Warner Bros.’ push to get more eyeballs on the series. This was billed a Hulu Original, but Warner Bros. held the underlying rights, which is why it was added to Netflix under an exclusive license.

It’s not clear if the one-year license was just for one of the seasons. It does seem odd for the second season to stick around, but “Castle Rock” is an anthology, which allows for only one season at a time to be on a platform. While Season 1 focused on Henry Deaver’s story with Molly, The Kidd, and Jackie Torrance, the second season shifted focus to Annie Wilkes and reimagined her “Misery” character.

There was a plan to bring a third season of the series, but it was canceled after just two seasons. There were mixed opinions from fans, as many noted how strong the seasons were until the very end, when they were left disappointed both times.

Where Will ‘Castle Rock’ Stream Next?

There is no word on the next streaming home for the Stephen King adaptation. It could head back to Hulu, as it was billed as a Hulu Original when it first arrived. However, as Warner Bros. owns the rights, it’s possible that it could head to HBO Max or even Paramount+ due to the merger with Paramount Global.

This is something to keep an eye on closer to the end of November. That’s when the listings for other streaming platforms come out.

If you don’t want to take a risk and miss it after it leaves, “Castle Rock” is available to purchase on Digital and DVD.

It’s certainly not the only big loss on Netflix in December. All five seasons of “The Last Kingdom” are also departing, despite being billed as a Netflix Original, as Parade reports. All six seasons of “Supergirl” are also leaving the streamer on the same day as “Castle Rock.”