Amazon’s Post-Apocalyptic Series Adaptation Of Novel That Inspired Stephen King’s Sci-Fi Masterpiece Is Now A Streaming Hit

1 week ago 11

Published Jun 15, 2026, 5:47 PM EDT

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A series that inspired Stephen King has reemerged as a streaming hit.

King has been a supporter of the MGM+ streaming service, which falls under the ultimate ownership of Amazon. He has the adaptation of the 2019 sci-fi novel The Institute, which is returning for season 2. He's also had very positive things to say about the horror drama series From, becoming one of the early adopters of a twisty saga that has now emerged as a streaming hit.

King's post-apocalyptic novel The Stand was inspired by George R. Stewart's classic Earth Abides, published in 1949 and influencing generations of stories to come. An adaptation of Stewart's work debuted on MGM+ in December 2024. Now, nearly two years later, that adaptation is back to climbing on the MGM+ charts.

The Book That Inspired A Stephen King Masterpiece Has An Underseen Adaptation

A 76-year-old book served as the key inspiration behind one of Stephen King's best books, and it surprisingly has an underseen television adaptation.

Earth Abides currently sits at #3 on the MGM+ Top 10 list in the U.S., slipping only one spot from its previous perch at #2. According to FlixPatrol, the adaptation has also been trending in Germany, where it recently ranked #8.

Consisting of six episodes and hailing from creator Todd Komarnicki, who previously wrote the Tom Hanks film Sully, the MGM+ take on Earth Abides zeroes in on what happens once a powerful plague works its way across the globe. It leaves the human race essentially wiped out in the aftermath, with civilization gradually grinding to a halt. There's only a select few survivors remaining, all of whom are shattered in their own way as they fight against total extinction.

Heels and The Hunger Games star Alexander Ludwig plays Ish, one of the survivors in this new and uncertain landscape. A brilliant geologist, who is also generally a loner, Ish wakes up from a coma with the shocking news that he is one of the few left alive. He comes to learn that, among the previous few survivors that remain, rules are hard to come by.

Jessica Frances Dukes, Aaron Tveit, Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll, Elyse Levesque, Luisa D'Oliveira, Kett Turton, Hilary McCormack, and Jenna Berman also star in the Earth Abides cast. It fell under the radar upon its initial release, with only four reviews listed on Rotten Tomatoes.

By all accounts, however, it does sound like Earth Abides and its short, six-episode run is getting a second look in time for Ludwig's next major role as part of The White Lotus season 4 on HBO.