'Wayward Pines' gets early TV, online preview

Bill Keveney | USA TODAY

Fox is getting ahead of its May 14 Wayward Pines premiere, making the opening episode of the M. Night Shyamalan event series available for free online and via pay-TV providers for one week starting tonight.

The move helps Fox stoke interest in the 10-episode Pines, a psychological thriller that stars Matt Dillon as a Secret Service agent on a mission to find two missing federal agents in the small town of Wayward Pines, Idaho. Terrence Howard, Carla Gugino, Juliette Lewis and Hope Davis also star in the series, which is based on Blake Crouch's best-selling book series.

On TV, the episode will be available beginning tonight (12 a.m. ET/PT). Viewers can watch the first episode of the 10-episode series on Fox On Demand on such providers as AT&T U-Verse, Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Charter, Cox, DIRECTV, Mediacom, Suddenlink, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FIOS and XFINITY.

On digital platforms, the first episode, which is directed by Shyamalan, will be available beginning at 12 p.m. PT Friday. It can be seen at Fox.com, Fox Now, Hulu.com and on Facebook. It also can be seen on Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, Play Station Store, VUDU and Xbox Video.

Pines premieres on Fox on May 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.