Good news to end the week with. My Czech publisher, Carcosa, who have already published my books SHINING IN THE DARK and STEPHEN KING: NOT JUST HORROR will publish my latest book STEPHEN KING: STORIES FROM FIVE DECADES OF STORYTELLING in the spring of 2025!
Name a sequel to a King movie that was good. I’m pretty sure you can’t but I dare you to do it…
Not a lot of us likes sequels to King’s movies (Doctor Sleep excluded since it’s based on a book by King that in itself is a sequel to his book The Shining) and that is why this book called King's Succession: An Examination of the Stephen King Movie Sequels caught my attention when I saw it on Amazon.com.
It’s a book about, you guessed it, sequels to King movies. I have no idea if it’s a good book or not (if someone sends me a review copy of it I’ll let you know, hint, hint) but otherwise I’d love to hear from anyone who’s read it.
Just a few days before it's premier Toronto Film Festival Vanity fair gave us some photos from The Life of Chuck and they also talked to Mike Flanagan more in dept about the movie. Head over to their site for all that.
In two weeks, I’ll be in Paris, France to promote my book and I hope to see you all there.
On Friday September 13th (17-19.30) I’ll be signing books and being interviewed at Bar La Grisette (27 Rue du Faubourg du Temple, 75010 Paris).
On Saturday September 14th (all day) I’ll be attending Salon du Vampire and signing books.
If you can’t be there (which I hope you can) and still want a signed copy of my book you can. If you buy the book through this link between today and September 13 I will sign it for you while in Paris.
Glen Powell has revealed to The Wrap that filming on The Running Man will begin in November. So far that’s about all we know about the movie, but a guess is that more info will be released closer to the filming starts. Another guess is that we hopefully will see it’s premier some time in 2025.
There has been some additional casting announced for The Institute. Simone Miller and Jason Diaz have joined Ben Barnes and Mary-Louise Parker.
Miller plays Kalisha who is a sarcastic-but-friendly Institute inmate. She becomes one of Luke’s allies. Diaz plays Tony, a sadistic orderly at the Institute’s, who likes to use his power on the children.
Barnes plays former police officer Tim Jamieson who’s looking to start a new life and , but the peace and quiet won’t last, as his story and Luke’s are destined to collide.
I’m happy and proud to announce that my French publisher Actusf is bringing me to Paris the weekend of September 13 – September 15 to promote my book Stephen King: Not Just Horror. The plan is to meet up with fans, sign books and other fun things.
The full schedule will be revealed later this week but if you’re in the Paris area, mark September 13-15 in your calendar now and I’ll see you there.
Finally some info about the release of Salem’s Lot. Vanity Fair reports that it will air on Max in October and they alos have a lot of photos from the movie as well as a talk with director Gary Dauberman.
It seems The Institute has started filming in Windsor, NS. This casting call sheet for background performers appeared online recently. And one of the actors, Ben Barnes posted a picture of the script for the pilot on his Instagram last week.
Remeber the adaptation of The Dark Tower that Amazon did and then dropped? The one that Glen Mazzara wrote the script for? Well, now you can read the script for the pilot over at The Stunt List.
In early May this year, Hodder & Stoughton produced an updated paperback edition of On Writing with the inclusion of a new foreword from Stephen King, the title of which is On Joy (Scribner did the same in the US).
The standard edition of the book has the same ISBN but, on the cover, it’s mentioned that there is a new foreword.
As bookstores order the book they will get the new version but some might have the old one is stock so please look closely at the cover if you’re out to get the new edition.
In an interview with CinemaBlend, JT Mollner who wrote the script for the upcoming adaptation of The Long Walk promised a faithful and R-rated adaptation of King's novel that doesn't pull any punches. Here’s what he said:
The great thing about this is that Francis, this is a true... I mean, it's not a low budget movie, but it's not as big of a budget as he normally works on with big franchises like the Hunger Games and stuff. So this is a true passion project for him. He wanted to do it the right way, a faithful way. And he knew that meant it was gonna be a very hardcore, disturbing and somewhat controversial movie. And that's the movie I was interested in writing. Stephen King also was very committed and determined for Francis to make a rated R film, one that honored the book and stayed true to the book.
We didn't really pull any punches. Most of the stuff that you remember being tough to take in the book still exists. And there are some tweaks made to update it that I think are smart… But I'm very happy with the adaptation as a Stephen King fan. I'm really happy with what we did with it. And even the studio notes that came in and, and the feedback from everybody, everybody was on the same page as far as staying true to the brutality and the seriousness of the book.
Just east of Poplar Point, scenes for The Long Walk were filmed this week. The last day of shooting was Wednesday, July 31. It was also reported that Mark Hamill was on location this week.
The podcast Talking Scared talked to Mike Flanagan and here’s what he had to say about the potential of The Exorcist getting in the way of The Dark Tower:
“Oh, it’s not in the way. They coexist very well. I think the trick with The Dark Tower is just it still just takes an enormous amount of time to get going. But we’re further along than the last time we spoke. It seems to be moving on its own momentum. There’s so much logistical, boring, legal stuff that we have to kind of machete our way through to get that thing moving. But yeah, it has not at all stalled and none of the other work that’s that’s kind of emerged has in any way taken away from it.”
“It became so clear to me that that kind of oil tanker of a project was just gonna be moving along. It’s perfectly feasible for me to be working on other things at the same time. And I wish that wasn’t the case. And there’s gonna be a point hopefully soon where that project needs to knock everything else outta the way, where Tower has to kind of assert itself … I couldn’t make that the case now if I wanted to. There’s just too much we’re still having to kind of get through to get it up.”
Deadline reports that seven new castmembers have been added to The Long Walk:
EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate has commenced production on The Long Walk, its adaptation of the 1979 novel from Stephen King, starring Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson, adding seven to the cast.
The newcomers are Garrett Wareing (Ransom Canyon), Tut Nyuot (The Witcher: Blood Origin), Charlie Plummer (National Anthem), Ben Wang (American Born Chinese), Jordan Gonzalez (Pretty Little Liars: Summer School), Joshua Odjick (Welcome to Derry), and Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit). Details as to their roles are under wraps.
It’s with pleasure I finally can reveal that I will be writing a monthly column for the great horror site DREAD CENTRAL. If you are at all interested in what’s happening in the world of horror you have probably been to their site and from now you will find my column there. I will write about what’s happening in the world of Stephen King and let you know what I think about it.
The first column is now out and that is more of an introduction to who I am. Check it out here.
Independent Legions announced the Italian limited edition of Stephen King: Stories From Five Decades of Storytelling. Cover art and illustration by artist Alessandro Amoruso.
The Italian limited and numbered edition of Stephen King: Stories from Five Decades of Storytelling will be released in December 2024 in only 199 numbered copies, available for pre-orders on the Publisher online store: www.independentlegions.com/store/p620/5decennidiscrittura.html.
It will be followed by a standard edition, with a different cover art and without Lilja's photo’s.
The Long Walk starts filming in Birds Hill Provincial Park next week.
A new movie being shot in Birds Hill Provincial Park next week means people will need to use an alternate entrance to get in.
The province announced Thursday that the west gate entrance on Provincial Trunk Highway 59 will be closed from July 22 to July 26 as a film production is happening in the area.
Instead, people are being asked to use the east gate entrance on Provincial Road 206. For those coming from the north or south, detours will be in place.
There are opportunities for people to be part of a "major motion picture." MadLib Casting and Film Services has a casting call out for several different background roles in La Riviere and the surrounding area for the movie "The Long Walk" which is an adaptation of the Stephen King book of the same name.
They are looking for a male farmer role who appears 35 or older, a woman to play a farmer's wife who appears 30 or older and someone to play a farmer's daughter who is between the age of 13 and 17.
All those positions need to be available for Aug. 7.
They are also looking for people to sit on chairs, kids between the ages of six and 10 to play on a porch and a man to drive a pickup truck. They need to be available for Aug. 12 and 13.
They are paid roles and people can find more details online.
King Noir, new book about The Crime Fiction of Stephen King by Tony Magistrale and Michael J. Blouin with contributions by Stephen King, and Charles Ardai. Released in hardback and paperback in April 2025.
Description
Over the past thirty years, Stephen King has received enormous attention from both the popular press as well as academics seeking to explain the unique phenomenon of his success. Books on King explore his canon in religious contexts, in political and historical contexts, in mythic—specifically Jungian—contexts, in Gothic/horror (especially American literary) contexts, and in a wide variety of other contexts appropriate to a writer who, over the past half century, has become “America’s Storyteller.” Beginning with a never-published chapter authored by Stephen King himself on the influence of the genre on his own writing, King Noir makes an invaluable contribution to King scholarship by placing King’s works in conversation with American crime fiction.
Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining Lands Surprise Documentary from His Estate: ‘A Holy Grail of Film History’.
The just-announced documentary, titled “Shine On – The Forgotten ‘Shining’ Location,” will premiere on the official Stanley Kubrick YouTube channel on Friday, July 26 at 11 a.m. PST/2 p.m. EST to commemorate the late filmmaker’s birthday. The feature captures the location scouting and making of the art direction for the Overlook Hotel at Elstree Studios.
In an interview with Indie Wire Glen Powell mentions that he is about to start filming Edgar Wright’s The Running Man, a much closer adaptation to King’s book than the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.
Speaking of “The Running Man,” how did that happen?
It was so fun for me because I searched “Edgar Wright” in my email the other day, writing “Edgar.” We’ve been going back and forth on script stuff, and it’s so fun. The world that Edgar’s developed on this thing is just outrageous. It’s so good. And really, we’re just both such big fans of the Stephen King book, and it’s going to be a great character. I’m so fired up about it. But I searched my email, and I searched Edgar Wright in my email, and it came up: I had a wish list of directors that I wanted to work with in 2008 when I moved out to LA that I sent my agent at the time — and Edgar Wright is literally number one. I’m such an Edgar Wright man. And so, the fact that I get to work with him right now is just so damn cool.
An Italian edition of Stephen King: Stories From Five Decades of Storytelling will be released by Independent Legions who has already released my books Shining in the Dark and Stephen King: Not Just Horror in Italy.
The book will be available in two editions. One limited and numbered edition that will contain a series of photos of my trip to Bangor and my meetings with King, in London and New York and one trade edition.
The release of the Italian editions (Trade and Limited) is scheduled for December 2024 and will be approximately 200 pages.
King was just interviewed in the podcast Talking Scared and here are some of the things he said:
He talks about the new book, You Like It Darker and mentions that he totally forgot about The Music Room but that it probably will be in the paperback edition.
His next book will be called Always Holly and in it we will see Holly as a bodyguard for a woman being stalked. Not sure if this is the book previous known as We Think Not but probably.
He has read The Talisman and will read Black House and then see if that leads to him writing The Talisman 3.
He also says that Roland’s main story is done. Might mean we won’t get any more Dark Tower books/stories but then you never know with King.
Listen to the full pod where you usually find your pods.
A German edition of Stephen King: Stories From Five Decades of Storytelling will be released by Buchheim Verlag, the same publisher that has already bought the rights to Stephen King: Not Just Horror.
Alixandra Fuchs (Hatfields & McCoys), Kimberly Guerrero (The English), Dorian Grey (Transplant, Star Trek: Discovery), Thomas Mitchell (Gangland Undercover, Spiral), BJ Harrison (Family Law, Maid), Peter Outerbridge (Batwoman, Saw VI), Shane Marriott (Fargo, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent), Chad Rook (Joe Pickett, Billy the Kid), Joshua Odjick (Little Bird, Wildhood) and Morningstar Angeline (Echo, Westworld) have all signed on for roles in Welcome to Derry that will air on MAX next year. No word on who either of them will play yet.
MGM+ has given a series order to The Institute. Ben Barnes (Shadow and Bone) plays former police officer Tim Jamieson and Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds) play Ms. Sigsby. Director/executive producer is Jack Bender (Mr. Mercedes). Production is slated to begin in Nova Scotia later this year and the plan is an eight episodes series.
From the press release
”I’m delighted and excited at the prospect of The Institute, with its high-intensity suspense, being filmed as a series,” said Stephen King. ”The combination of Jack Bender and Ben Cavell guarantees that the results will be terrific.”
Deadline reports that Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson are currently in the mix to headline The Long Walk. If “in the mix” means they got the parts and if so who they’re playing remains to be seen.
In October Simon & Schuster will release a stand alone edition of The Shawshank Redemption to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Best Picture Academy Award nominee.
Random House will release a new paperback edition of Salem's Lot released at the end of December.
Between October 17 and 27 Benson Theatre in Omaha, Nebraska will perform King’s musical Ghost Brothers in Darkland County. Don’t miss this if have a chance being there.
Deadline reports that Bill Skarsgård will return as Pennywise in the upcoming Welcome to Derry.
A familiar face is coming back to terrorize the children of Derry, Maine. Bill Skarsgård is set to star in and executive produce the Max It prequel series Welcome To Derry (working title), He will be reprising his title role as It/Pennywise from the hit 2017 New Line movie It and its sequel, It Chapter Two.