Per Collider, Zac Efron has signed on to star in a remake of Firestarter for Blumhouse.
The original 1984 film, which starred a young Drew Barrymore, was itself an adaptation of Stephen King‘s 1980 novel, which followed a young girl who develops pyrokinetic abilities and is abducted by a secret government agency that wants to harness her powerful gift as a weapon.
Keith Thomas will direct from a script by Scott Teems (the upcoming Halloween Kills). Efron will reportedly play the young girl’s father, the second father-figure role he’s signed on for recently having also agreed to star in the Disney+ remake of Three Men And A Baby.
Jason Blum is producing for Blumhouse – naturally – alongside Oscar winner Akiva Goldsman and his Weed Road banner. Martha De Laurentiis will also executive produce, having served as an associate producer on the original movie.
The awkwardly named King-aissance continues. Since IT became the highest grossing horror film ever in late 2017, King adaptations have been all the rage. On the TV side, HBO Max is developing a Shining spinoff titled Overlook, Apple TV+ is adapting Lisey’s Story, while CBS is spearheading a new TV adaptation of The Stand.
Hulu is working on King’s 1984 novel The Eyes Of The Dragon, Spyglass is producing an adaptation of his new book The Institute, and AMC is adapting King and son Owen King‘s Sleeping Beauties.
On the big screen, Blumhouse has also hired Scott Derrickson to direct The Breathing Method, while MGM has tapped Alex Ross Perry for a new adaptation of The Dark Half.
New Line is developing both The Long Walk and Salem’s Lot, Universal is at the helm of a Tommyknockers adaptation, and Mike Flanagan will adapt Revival.
That list does not include the recent post-IT King adaptations such as Pet Sematary, 1922, In The Tall Grass, Doctor Sleep, The Outsider, Castle Rock, Creepshow and Mr. Mercedes.
Firestarter is just the latest in an increasingly gigantic line of King adaptations. Maybe he could write a novel about an author being terrorised by the adaptations of his own books?
There will always be good and bad King adaptations. Who knows where this one could fall. With Thomas being an up-and-coming director and Efron not having done any real horror, it’s hard to know what to expect from Firestarter. Perhaps a Drew Barrymore cameo?
#Peace.Love.Firestarter
