Stephen King has given a rare, enthusiastic public endorsement to an original horror film, The Cycle, an independent movie starring Deborah Ann Woll of Daredevil: Born Again. King, who says he does not normally promote horror films that are not his own, urged his followers to mark the film's release date, calling it "special" without elaborating on what specifically impressed him. The praise is significant given King's stature in the genre and is expected to raise the profile of the film ahead of its streaming debut.

The Cycle, directed by Jordan Downey and co-written with Kevin Stewart, follows Meg (Woll) as she investigates her father's mysterious reappearance and death 36 years after he vanished, with the trailer hinting at a possible supernatural explanation. The cast also includes Jeffrey Donovan, Gretchen Corbett, Will Hochman, Dana Millican, Phillip Andrew Botello and Jack Doolan. Downey has described the film as a tribute to King's influence on his work, making the author's endorsement especially meaningful to him. The Cycle is set to premiere exclusively on Shudder on 23 October.