It’s a good year to be a Stephen King fan.
Even after 44 years, 55 books, 86 plus movies and TV series, Stephen King adaptations are not slowing down. Here is a rundown of all adaptations premiering this year.
Up first…
‘The Dark Tower’
Aug. 4
Premiering this week, The Dark Tower has been a long time coming.
Here is what we know so far:
The runtime for ‘The Dark Tower’ is 95-minutes long, which is surprisingly short for a movie that will adapt an eight book saga
Director Nikolaj Arcel doesn’t think fans should worry. He told Slashfilm:
If you are still worried about the runtime and its ability to make a quality adaptation, Stephen King is reassuring fans by explaining that the running time is due to the lack of filler in the movie. It’s all meat, according to the King:
It's true THE DARK TOWER movie runs a clean 95 minutes. Like the first book in the series (224 pages), it's all killer and no filler.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) July 19, 2017
That being said…
‘The Dark Tower’ isn’t an exact adaptation of the first book of the series, ‘The Gunslinger.’ People are describing it more as a sequel or continuation of the entire series
Last year Stephen King tweeted out a picture of The Horn of Eld, which is a relic of the world that was passed down to Roland. Fans went nuts, because what King tweeted is a reference to the final book of the series, The Dark Tower. Without giving out spoilers for those who didn’t read the books, The Dark Tower movie could essentially be an adaptation of the first book, The Gunslinger while also being a continuation of the story as a whole.
Mind blown.
There is a TV series in the works that will be canon
After many, many years trying to adapt this book series, it looks like we not only will get a feature film, but also a TV series. Nikolaj Arcel, director of The Dark Tower recently spoke to IndieWire saying:
It is looking like like the TV series will be focusing more on the fourth book of the series, Wizard and Glass, Roland as a teenager, while also taking parts from The Gunslinger. Idris Elba and Jake Chambers are expected to be apart of the TV series. No word yet on when the series will premiere.
‘Mr. Mercedes’
Aug. 9
The Audience Network’s upcoming series Mr. Mercedes made its first appearance at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con. With Executive Producer Jack Bender and the cast in tow, new info on the show has emerged.
Here is what we know so far:
The series, which was adapted by David E. Kelley, marks a reunion between Bender and die-hard ‘Lost’ fan Stephen King after the two worked together on ABC’s ‘Under the Dome’
Stephen King wrote three books featuring retired detective Bill Hodges. Mr. Mercedes will follow the story of the case of a killer who ran over people in line at a job fair with a stolen Mercedes. That sounds… delightful.
The cast includes Brendan Gleeson (‘Edge of Tomorrow’), Jharrel Jerome (‘Moonlight’), Mary-Louise Parker (‘Weeds’), Kelly Lynch (‘Drugstore Cowboy’), Holland Taylor (‘Two and a Half Men’), and Peyton Wich (‘Stranger Things’)
Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) was originally cast before his tragic death. The part was recast with Harry Treadaway (Penny Dreadful).
Bender received the manuscript before it was published and immediately was taken by the material, which was a bit different from King’s previous material
One of the great things about Stephen King’s novels is that he is not afraid to stray from his comfort zone. His novels like Lisey’s Story interweaves romance with horror, while other’s like Dolores Claiborne is written completely in dialect. King likes to write in whichever genre he chooses, and hopefully the new series will be able to translate that into a great TV series.
Stephen King will make a cameo
Will he himself, The King of Horror, make it out alive?
‘It’
Sept. 8
If you are a fan of Stranger Things this is a must see.
When the first trailer hit the internet on March 31, 2017 it quickly surpassed ‘The Fate of the Furious’ as the most viewed movie trailer within 24 hours – racking up 197.0 million views
Now that it is getting closer to the release date more trailers have been popping up. However, the studio is keeping a tight lid on releasing other clips. At the 2017 SDCC a couple of trailers were shown to the packed room, but most were similar footage already shown in released trailers.
This film is only the first film of the adaptation. Since the book splits its time jumping from past to present, the movie will split it into two films
With a book as long as It this split is more than understandable. It will focus on the childhood portion of the story.
Bill Skarsgård takes on the infamous role of Pennywise the clown. In the 1990 adaptation, Tim Curry freaked out an entire generation in his portrayal
Many unknowns were cast as the kids, but one notable actor is Finn Wolfhard from Netflix’s Stranger Things.
And, um this…
…gulp.
‘Castle Rock’
TBA, 2018
Have you ever wanted to see a world through the eyes of Stephen King? Castle Rock may be the closest way. Taking Stephen King’s most iconic characters and settings, this Hulu original series will bring us to possibly the most disturbing town in existence.
Here is what we know so far:
J.J. Abrams’s production company Bad Robot Productions will produce the show, along with Warner Bros. Television. Sam Shaw & Dustin Thomason will also serve as Executive Producers
J.J. Abrams is a part of this? ‘Nuff said.
The cast includes Sissy Spacek, André Holland, Bill Skarsgård, Jane Levy and Melanie Lynskey
Bill Skarsgård is starring as the iconic Pennywise in the upcoming remake of It, but will be playing a new character in Castle Rock. Also, interestingly enough, Sissy Spacek was the star of the iconic Stephen King movie Carrie (1976).
During an interview on ‘The Tonight Show,’ J.J. Abrams confirmed that ‘Castle Rock’ will interweave various characters from King’s most iconic novels, explaining;
From what we know so far, Castle Rock looks to be gearing up to be a rival of American Horror Story. The big question is which of the many horrific characters will we actually see in the show?
‘Gerald’s Game’
TBA, 2018
Often looked at as one of the ‘unadaptable’ novels penned by King, Gerald’s Game will be with no question unlike anything else.
Here is what we know so far:
The story is about a married couple in a remote retreat who, during a sex game, the husband (Bruce Greenwood) dies – leaving the wife (Carla Gugino) chained to the bed. Now stuck in a seemingly empty house, she is forced to face long-buried demons
It sounds… horrifying and very disturbing. Perhaps another Stephen King classic?
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