Stop what you are watching. 11.22.63 just crossed the streams. The Stephen King time travel thriller, once stamped as a Hulu Original, is now streaming in the U.S. on Netflix as of January 7, 2026. I can confirm the full eight episode limited series is live, restored, and ready to binge. This is a rare move, and it is not a fluke. It is strategy, and it is smart.
What You Need To Know Right Now
James Franco stars as Jake Epping, a small town teacher who slips through a diner doorway and lands in 1960. His mission is deadly simple on paper, stop the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. The series adapts King’s 2011 novel, and it never treats history like a toy. It treats it like a trap.
- Streaming in the U.S. on Netflix now
- Eight episodes, limited series from 2016
- Produced by Warner Bros. Television with Bad Robot
- 83 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, 69 out of 100 on Metacritic
It is unusual to see a Hulu branded series on Netflix. The key is the Warner Bros. Television license that opened the door.
How A Hulu Original Landed On Netflix
Here is the play. Warner Bros. Television controls distribution on 11.22.63, and WB has been licensing select library titles more widely. That includes sending shows to rival platforms when the timing and audience fit. Netflix wanted a prestige, completed limited series with a known IP. WB wanted the show back in front of a mass audience after a quiet period off major services. The handshake was obvious.
The result, a Hulu Original logo in the opening moments, a Netflix row on your home screen. This deal also plugs into Netflix’s January 2026 push that brings in other familiar names like Falling Skies, Found, The Following, Veronica Mars, and Southland. It reads like a curated comfort shelf, a mix of discovery and nostalgia that plays well in cold months.
Star Power, On Screen And Behind The Camera
Franco anchors the story with a restless, clenched energy. Sarah Gadon is the show’s secret weapon as Sadie, a bright librarian who turns Jake’s mission into a love story with a ticking clock. Chris Cooper makes every scene count as Al Templeton, the gruff diner owner who knows the portal’s rules. Daniel Webber’s Lee Harvey Oswald is lived in and unsettling, a man you think you know until you do not.
Behind the scenes, the DNA is premium. Stephen King’s blueprint is intact, and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot pedigree shows in the period detail, the smoky color palette, and the thrill of each near miss. The pilot is moody and muscular, then the series settles into a slow burn that pays off in the final hours.
This is a true limited series. Eight episodes, no filler, a clean finish. You can do it in a weekend.
Why This Return Matters
Fans have been asking for a simple way to rewatch 11.22.63 for years. The show bounced around and was tough to find for a while. That hurt a series built on word of mouth. Today’s drop fixes that. It gives original viewers a chance to revisit the ending that still sparks debate. It also hands new viewers a polished King adaptation that respects both the past and the possibilities of time travel.
The cultural pull is strong. America keeps circling the JFK story, and this series looks at the obsession head on. It asks what you would risk to stop a national trauma. It asks what history does to people who try to bend it. The costumes and cars are candy, but the heart is heavy. That mix is why critics embraced it then, and why it lands now.
Expect celebrities who love King’s universe to chime in as they queue it up. Expect watch parties and “first time through” reactions as younger viewers discover James Franco in a dramatic lane that fits him. Expect renewed praise for Gadon, whose work here has aged especially well.
Where It Fits On Netflix This Month
Netflix has stocked January with recognizable series that you can start and finish with ease. 11.22.63 is the marquee drop, a self contained story that rewards patience and curiosity. It sits neatly beside the other arrivals, but it also stands apart. It is a time capsule, a thriller, and a romance, all in one tight package.
If you missed it in 2016, you get the version everyone talked about. If you watched it then, the Netflix restoration is the cleanest way to relive it now.
The Bottom Line
11.22.63 has jumped to Netflix, and that changes the game for this series. A once hard to stream gem is back in the spotlight, and it is exactly the kind of show that reminds you why limited series work. Clear stakes, bold craft, a final chapter that sticks. Press play, and see if you can change the past. History may have other plans.
