Spielberg doing The Talisman
Posted: October 15, 2003, 23:09
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Perelman Comes Aboard Spielberg Pet Project
Wed Oct 15, 3:35 AM ET
By Chris Gardner
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Vadim Perelman, who made his directorial debut on DreamWorks' upcoming Oscar hopeful "The House of Sand and Fog," is near a deal to take the helm of "The Talisman," a longtime pet project of Steven Spielberg.
Based on the 1984 fantasy novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub, it centers on 12-year-old Jack Sawyer, who goes on a quest in the living world and a parallel world known as the Territories to acquire a talisman that will save the life of his dying mother and the queen of the Territories.
The book, which marked the first collaboration between King and Straub, spawned the sequel "Black House."
Spielberg and producer Kathleen Kennedy have been developing the project for nearly 20 years, back when she was an executive at Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment. It has taken on various forms throughout that time and recently was close to being made into a four-hour miniseries at ABC.
Spielberg will take executive producer credits on the feature, with Kennedy handling producer chores on the Ehren Kruger-penned "Talisman." The film is a co-production of Universal Pictures and DreamWorks.
Perelman's "Sand and Fog," which stars Jennifer Connelly Ben Kingsley and Ron Eldard will have its worldwide debut Nov. 9 at AFI Fest 2003 in Hollywood. It opens in theaters Dec. 26.
Thanks to Bev Vincent, Bob I and BFoehl.
