Up-and-coming genre filmmaker Keith Thomas has been tapped to direct Blumhouse’s upcoming remake of 1984 movie, Firestarter. The original novel was written by Stephen King, and follows a young girl with pyrokinetic abilities who is abducted by a secret government agency that wants to harness her powerful gift as a weapon. Scott Teems (Halloween Kills) is writing the script.
If you’ve not heard of Thomas and are worrying you’re out of the loop, don’t fret. He’s been hired based off his debut feature The Vigil, which hasn’t actually been released yet.
Variety reports that Blumhouse was so blown away by The Vigil at the Toronto Film Festival that they acquired the domestic rights to the film before immediately hiring Thomas for Firestarter. Now that’s a first impression. Jason Blum said at the time:
“Every once in a while you see a film that grasps and shakes you. The Vigil did that for us, and we were eager to be a part of the film and to work with Keith and the BoulderLight team”.
The film is a supernatural horror film rooted in Jewish culture and mysticism, and set in the Hasidic community of Boro Park, Brooklyn. It follows a man providing overnight watch to a deceased member of the community who finds himself battling a malevolent entity.
Back to Firestarter. Drew Barrymore starred in the original film, which also boasted a great supporting cast that included Martin Sheen, George C. Scott, Art Carney, Louise Fletcher, Heather Locklear, and David Keith as Barrymore’s father. The studio is reportedly looking to cast a big name in the father role.
Obviously this is yet another King adaptation, just the latest in a barrage of his work being (re)adapted for both the big and small screen. Blumhouse will be hoping that Thomas’ apparent talent helps the film stand out from all the other adaptations of his work.
#Peace.Love.Firestarter
