Stephen King's 'Rose Red' Deserves Another Look

Rose Red celebrated its 24th anniversary in 2026 and remains one of Stephen King's most overlooked television projects. Released as a three-night event on ABC in January 2002, the four-hour miniseries tells a classic haunted-house tale with a cast that has since become familiar.

The story centers on a gaudy Seattle mansion built in 1906 by oil tycoon John Rimbauer as a gift to his ailing wife. After 23 people die or disappear after entering the house, psychology professor Joyce Reardon (Nancy Travis) assembles a team of psychic mediums to investigate.

The group includes Nick Hardaway (Julian Sands), Emery Waterman (Matt Ross), Pam Asbury (Emily Deschanel) and Vic Kandinsky (Kevin Tighe), with Melanie Lynskey and Jimmi Simpson appearing as college students loosely tied to the case. Rose Red borrows elements from The Shining and Carrie, including telekinesis, and draws direct inspiration from Robert Wise’s The Haunting and the Winchester Mystery House.

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