Drunken Fireworks will be released on June 30 as an audio book and then included in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams when it's released in November. Here is what's posted on King's site about it.
Simon & Schuster Audio is thrilled to announce the publication of DRUNKEN FIREWORKS, a brand new story from Stephen King. DRUNKEN FIREWORKS will be released exclusively as an audiobook on June 30, 2015.
DRUNKEN FIREWORKS will be released on CD and as a digital download before it is published as one of the short stories in King’s collection, THE BAZAAR OF BAD DREAMS, coming from Simon & Schuster Audio and Scribner in November 2015.
This cryptic message about the adaptation of 11/22/63 was posted on King’s message board yesterday. Guess we will see more info later today…
I wasn't given permission to post anything before my quitting time for the day but be on the lookout for an announcement coming soon about this project--possibly overnight. Once we get the official thumbs up, we'll be sure to post here as well.
Finally some news about the movie version of Cell. Now it looks like we will be seeing it in theaters later this year.
Press Release (via Collider) - “BERLIN, GERMANY (February 6, 2015) – Clarius Entertainment has acquired US rights to Benaroya Pictures and The Genre Company’s thriller CELL directed by Tod “Kip” Williams (PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2) and starring John Cusack (upcoming LOVE & MERCY, LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER) and Oscar-nominated Samuel L. Jackson (upcoming KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE, DJANGO UNCHAINED), it was announced today by the film’s producers Michael Benaroya and Richard Saperstein.
International Film Trust (IFT) is handling foreign rights to the film, which they are actively selling at the European Film Market.
“We are so glad to be working with Clarius, who recognize the broad commercial appeal of this high-concept genre film starring an impressive cast who deliver exceptional performances,” said Benaroya.
“I’m proud of the film we’ve made and excited to work with the strong, experienced team at Clarius on what I know will be a successful release,” said Saperstein.
“CELL is an exciting addition to our slate, with solid pedigree both in front of and behind the camera and a wild ride of a story for our cell phone-dependent culture,” said Louise Chater, Clarius’ acquisition head. “Our team is very much looking forward to working with these filmmakers and bringing the film into the US marketplace.”
Set to be a wide theatrical release later this year, CELL also stars Isabelle Fuhrman (THE HUNGER GAMES) and Golden Globe winner Stacy Keach (NEBRASKA, THE BOURNE LEGACY). When a powerful signal is broadcast across mobile networks worldwide, cell phone users’ minds are instantly and dangerously re-programmed. Heading north through New England in search of his wife and son, Clay Riddell (Cusack) is joined by a group of survivors hoping to fend off the bloodthirsty and hyper-connected “phoners.”
CELL is produced by Michael Benaroya (LAWLESS, MARGIN CALL), Richard Saperstein (SE7EN, HANCOCK), Brian Witten (CHERNOBYL DIARIES, FRIDAY THE 13TH) and Shara Kay (SILENT NIGHT). While he was President of Dimension Films, Saperstein oversaw the Stephen King adaptations, THE MIST, directed by Frank Darabont, and 1408, which also starred Cusack and Jackson, and grossed over $130 million worldwide.
Based on the best-selling apocalyptic novel by Stephen King, the screenplay for CELL was written by King, with revisions by Adam Alleca (LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT) and Mark Leyner (WAR INC.). John Cusack, Paddy Cullen, Edward Mokhtarian, Armen Aghaeian, Xavier Gens, Laurence Freed, Stephen Hays, Peter Graham, Ben Sachs, Tyler Hawes, Brian Pope, Geno Tazioli, Marina Grasic and Jan Korbelin are executive producers and Mark Leyner, Ben Insler and James Lejsek are co-producers.
Dread Central reports that One For the Road is being turned into a film.
From the Press Release:
Maine-based production companies Bonfire Films and Dark Farm Films have teamed up to bring the work of author Stephen King back to his home state. This year the two companies will adapt King’s short story “One for the Road,” filming it in the areas that King intended the dark tale to unfold: the Maine towns of Falmouth, Windham, and Cumberland, better known to the literary world as Jerusalem’s Lot (Salem’s Lot).
Corey Norman, director of the wildly successful independent feature The Hanover House, is set to direct the long-form short film, while Jenny Anastasoff of the Damnationland hit Sui Generis and Haley Norman of The Hanover House are set to produce. Being huge King fans, the group hope to create a true love letter to the work of the author, while showcasing the state that has brought them so much inspiration. Look for the film when it hits festivals later this year.
King has confirmed that Bad Little Kid will be included in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. This was posted in the official forum.
I asked Steve last week if there was any update on the TOC and got this response:
".....the final table of contents hasn’t been decided,
either the stories or the order, but that one of the longer ones has never
been published in this country, and some not at all."
2) Audio Message - Speak Pipe widget on the right hand of the podcast page (send voicemail)
In this podcast:
1) 00:00 - Intro
2) 00:56 - Podcast Setup
3) 03:27 - From The Death Room - The Latest Stephen King News
4) 12:03 - Reviews From The Night Shift - 2014/2015 King Calendar
5) 53:22 - Reviews From The Night Shift - Eps. 10-13 of Haven Season 5
6) 1:02:21 - Signoff & Next Podcast Preview
7) 1:03:18 - Outre
The Moderator over at King's board had an update on what King is working on.
Mod at SKMB:
Last week he told me he was working on edits for The Bazaar of Bad Dreams and had a new short story in the wings. I haven't read that one yet but couldn't say more even if I had.
Not sure if the short story mentioned is for the book or not though...
…I reported that King was about to sign a new three-book deal. At the time we didn’t know the titles or the publisher. Today we know it was with Simon & Schuster and that the books were Dreamcatcher, Everything’s Eventual and From a Buick 8. Here is what we know back in the year 2000…
Stephen King will sign a new three-book deal later this week -- proving that there will be more Stephen king books after his accident.
"He's well, he's active, he's working very hard," said his literary agent, Arthur Greene.
King has been walking on a crutch since suffering 25 broken bones in his hip, right leg and pelvis, a collapsed lung and other injuries. "He was pretty well mangled," said King friend Stu Tinker, owner of Betts Bookstore in Bangor. "It's amazing that in this short a period he's able to get up and around and drive by himself."
The new publishing deal is for three books, "one of which is completed and the other two that he's working on," Greene said. The agent would not say what the new books are or if the deal is with King's publisher Scribner, or another house.
King has finished a non-fiction book on writing. Scheduled for a September release, that volume completes his three-book 1997 deal with Scribner that was unusual because it was light on up-front royalties but heavy on profit-sharing.
The Stephen King Companion by George Beahm was the first book I read about King back in 1991. I also got the updated version when it was released in 1995. Now I’m happy to say that there will be yet another, updated version released in 2015. Further details are forthcoming from the author and publisher shortly…
Here is an update about the limited TV series based on Mr Mercedes. We know from earlier that the plan is to do 10-episodes. No word on when we can expect to see it yet though.
David E. Kelley is plotting his return to the small screen.
The prolific producer, who most recently showran CBS' The Crazy Ones, has signed on to adapt Stephen King's best-selling novel Mr. Mercedes as a limited series.
Sonar Entertainment will package the drama as a limited series, with Kelley (Boston Legal, The Practice) attached to pen the script. Lost's Jack Bender will direct and exec produce alongside Kelley, Temple Hill Entertainment's Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey, and Sonar's Gene Stein. The project marks a reunion for King and Bender, who most recently teamed on CBS' summer drama Under the Dome.
It's been a while since we heard about The Things They Left Behind (September 2014 to be exact) but in this article it's mentioned.
Also on the busy man’s plate… an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Things They Left Behind with Greg Berlanti for CBS
From an interview with Marky Ramone.
The Ramones welcomed a sober Marky back in 1987. And two years later, he found himself at the home of author Stephen King, who invited the band — big horror and sci-fi fans — to his home.
“During a break in the friendly Yankees-Red Sox debate between Johnny and King, [the writer] handed Dee Dee a copy of his best-selling novel ‘Pet Sematary,’ ” Marky recalls. Dee Dee wrote the song “Pet Sematary” in less than an hour in King’s basement.
If you got some spare time and want to know what it was like living in the 80's you can head over to The Internet Archive Software Collection and try The Mist game from 1985 in their emulation. It's not easy though...
The movie version of The Mist or rather its ending has been the basis for a lot of discussions and arguments between King Fans ever since it was released. Today, thanks to Douglas Dowie, I found this editorial from Quint over at Ain’t it Cool News about the films ending and I think you should all read it. It’s very well written and it has a very good point.
Also, if you didn’t know it there is a different version of the movie cut by Kevin Karstens (check out his website here) with a different ending.
What do you think about the movies ending? Love it? Have it? Why do you feel like you do?
*** Correction. This box was released on December 9, 2014 ***
Tomorrow you can get the second season of Under the Dome on DVD and blu-ray. Sorry this news comes so close to the release but there has (as far as I have seen) been almost non promotion for this one...
The extra features are:
Under The Dome: Season 2: Readings From The Dome
Interview: Stephen King & Season 2
Under The Dome: Season 2: Welcome Back To Chester's Mill
Under The Dome: Season 2: Filming The Season Premiere
Under The Dome: A Journey Through Season 2
Inside/Outside: The Transmedia World of Under The Dome
Under The Dome: Season 2: The VFX
Today Swedish TV shot a segment about me and Lilja's Library. No date has been set for when it will air yet but when it do I will link to it here. That will give those of you who don't speak Swedish some time to learn...
Not much happening in the world of Stephen King these days so I decided to add two new items to Marv’s Museum. The first is a hat from Haven and the other is a notebook from the Dollar Baby Paranoid.
If you don’t know what Marv’s Museum is it’s a place where I display some movie prop (from King movies) that I have. Check it out if you haven’t.
Here is the winning entry in the illustrate a trouble Contest I ran here at Lilja's Library. The winner is Darren LeBlanc who will get a signed cast photo. And here is his entry (which I would love to see): "If They Could Only See Me Now"
By: Darren LeBlanc
The Wilson family of Haven had always lived on the fringe of society. They were not only on the poor side of town, they were on the outskirts of even that. Introverted to say the least, their lack of self-esteem and self-worth made it extremely difficult for them to look anyone in the eyes. Thankfully, this was not a concern to the other residents of Haven. When they would see members of the Wilson family in town, they would instinctively look away as to not even acknowledge the poor family's existence. The Wilsons were made to feel invisible in their own town. And when that town happens to be Haven, Maine... those feelings can have bizarre repercussions.
2William Wilson tried his best to make a decent living for his wife Libby and their sons Justin and Brandon. But the life of a handyman in a town where people would rather cross the street than look at you makes a living harder than it should be. Like his father, and his father before him, William knew that the Wilson family would forever be ignored and unwanted. Always present, and yet never noticed. Until that day at Maine First Financial.
When the bank manager told him that his loan application was being denied like all the others, William felt a tiny snap deep inside his head. It could have been because this was the fourth attempt at getting the desperately needed funds to try to pull his family out of it’s continuously downward spiral. It could have been that this was the fourth time his application had been denied. Or it could have simply been that even as Mr. Anderson was shattering William’s hopes for the fourth time, he had still never once looked directly at William while doing it. As he walked out of the manager’s office, passed Mrs. White at her Customer Inquiry desk, and passed the long line of people waiting for their chance at the one open teller’s window, not a single person would look at him. He had never felt so lost, so meaningless, so invisible. And then, before he could realise it himself… he was invisible.
Looking at the spotless front window of the bank, where his despondent reflection should be, there was nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. He could clearly see Michaud’s Fish Market across the street, directly behind him. He could see the backwards writing on the U.S. Mail truck passing by. He could even see the hurried images of the townspeople walking passed him on their way to their lucrative and joyful futures. But just as he had always felt, he simply wasn’t there.
Later, sitting on the park bench, he remembered the stories his father would tell him about being invisible to others. He always assumed it meant that others chose not to see them. But maybe there was more in his father’s stories than he realised. Maybe much more.
It started small at first. A few dollars left on the café table by a satisfied customer, an unattended purse at the diner. It was so easy. Whatever he touched became as invisible as himself. Why should they be allowed to have it when his family was living day to day, wondering when those next meager paychecks when come in? Soon, it was new toys for Justin and Brandon, a nice dress for Libby. Their expressions were always full of surprise and delight when he brought each item home, which filled him with a sense of pride and value that he had never known. It also blinded him to the other expression on Libby’s beautiful face… a look of concern.
It didn’t take long for Haven P.D. to notice the rash of thefts around town. And once Detectives Parker and Wuornos took notice, William knew he would have to act fast. The few dollars and trinkets were fine, for now. But he needed something more. Something that would allow him to take his family far away from this town, to a place where they could be welcomed and seen as productive members of society. And then he knew. He suspected he had always known. The perfect combination of financial security and deeply embedded revenge. Maine First Financial.
Twenty minutes after William kissed Libby goodbye, hugged his sons, and left for what he believed would be his last job ever, Nathan and Audrey knocked on the door. After seeing the interior of the shack they had seen coming up the winding dirt road, they began to think their suspicions were correct. After hearing Libby’s tearful tale of the Wilson family heritage, and her own deepening concerns about William’s recent windfalls, they knew they were correct.
It was so easy, William could hardly believe it. He knew he could walk straight into the bank unnoticed… he had been doing it all his life. But working his way passed Mrs. White, and poor unsuspecting Mary at the teller window, and all the way into the open vault at the back, he was still undetected. All he had to do was calmly walk back out… with as much money as he could carry. Enough to make his dreams come true, enough to watch Haven disappear in the rear view mirror of his new Mercedes as they drove to their new future together. He could see Libby and the boys sitting there with him, with their arms out the side windows feeling the crisp, clean air of coastal Maine run through their fingers. But something was wrong, something was terribly wrong. He could still see Libby, but she was no longer smiling. She was crying. She was calling his name. And she was standing inside the front door of Maine First Financial.
Why had Parker and Wuornos brought her here? How did they know? How could they be doing this to him? With all of these questions racing through his head, he looked for the only thing that ever really gave him value. He looked into Libby’s eyes, and she looked back. And then he knew. He knew that the thousands of dollars he was carrying would be worthless if that face no longer looked at him. The world could disappear, as long as she could still see him as the man she loved.
To say that there was an immediate sense of shock on everyone’s face when a man suddenly materialised in front of them, carrying a sports bag filled with cash, would be an understatement. They all watched him calmly put the bag down, the entire bank saw him slowly walk towards his wife, and everyone who was there that day witnessed a desperate man gently embrace the only person in the world that he needed to see him.
Looks like Mr Mercedes has been released in more languages than I thought and thanks to everyone that told me about them. Most of the editions have either the US, UK or a very similar cover but some countries stand out and do their own covers and for that (even if you like the cover or not) I think they need to be recognized. And here are three; Bulgaria, Ukraine and Russia. Is there more covers out there for Mr Mercedes that have their own look? Let me know!
Have you ordered your copy of Dark Screams: Volume One? If not do it now. King's Weeds is included and it's the same version he publised in Cavalier back in 1976.
Its 198 days since Mr Mercedes was released and not it’s starting to pop up in different translations as well. Here is a list of other languages the book has or will be released in. If your language is missing, let me know and I’ll add it. Oh, and don’t forget to send it a photo of yourself and the book when you get it. It would be fun to have some foreign editions as well.
France: February 5, 2015
Sweden: May 22, 2015
Bulgaria: Released
Czech Republic: Released
Georgia: Released
Germany: Released
Greece: Released
Holland: Released
Hungary: Released
Italy: Released
Poland: Released
Russia: Released
Spain: Released
Turkey: Released
UK: Released
Ukraine: Released
USA: Released
Yes, this is King related and not about the TV series House of Cards. Marvel and Stephen King has announced the next installment of The Dark Tower comic book adaptation, Dark Tower: The Drawing of the Three – House of Cards. The first issue will be released in March, 2015.
In about a week Christmas is here and hopefully you have gotten all your Christmas shopping done by now but if you haven’t, here are some suggestions…
For the casual King reader:Mr Mercedes or Revival…or maybe both. Keep in mind though that Mr Mercedes is out in paperback on January 6 so that one might be worth waiting for if you are short of money.
For the dresser: Get the new Revival clothes from Café Press. Personally I’d love a Crome Roses t-shirt (hint) :-)
For the die-hard fan: Something signed. You can’t go wrong with a signed book but be careful and make sure you get it for a reliable source.
For the listener: As for the reader you can’t go wrong with the two new books Mr Mercedes and Revival. But if the one getting it already have them why not going for some older book? There are a lot of audiobooks out there. Why not a copy of 11/22/63 or Big Driver and A Good Marriage?
For the non-reader: Pre-order Big Driver on DVD. It’s a good movie but unfortunately it’s not released until January 27.
For the one who gets it all him or herself: Pre-order Finders Keepers and / or The Bazaar of Bad Dreams before they get a chance to get them.
For Lilja: Keep coming back to the site, facebook and twitter page and talk King! I love to interact with you all and I hope we will keep doing it during 2015 as well! And maybe some audio comments for the podcast…
Do you have other suggestions on gifts for King fans? What would you like for Christmas? Post in the comment below or on facebook and twitter.
We take a moment to reflect on the passing of Rocky Wood.
Included is the latest Stephen King news plus our thoughts on the latest Stephen King book - Revival.
We also discuss in depth the possible implications of director Josh Boone's interview by Kevin Smith on Hollywood Babble On about The Stand.
We hope you enjoy this episode and, as usual, we want to hear from you.
Good or bad, we want it all!
You can leave us comments, questions, topic suggestions at:
1) FaceBook - Lilja's Library
2) Audio Message - Speak Pipe widget on the right hand of the podcast page (send voicemail)
In this podcast:
1) 00:00 - Intro
2) 00:56 - Podcast Setup
3) 01:50 - From The Death Room - The Latest Stephen King News
4) 21:36 - Reviews From The Night Shift - Revival
5) 35:35 - Reviews From The Night Shift - Director Josh Boone
6) 58:06 - Signoff & Next Podcast Preview
7) 58:57 - Outre
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Here is a book about King's work. It's focused on the French market and in French but if you understand that, please check it out. And for the rest of us, when will there be an English translation?
"Les adaptations de Stephen King", is a french book about Stephen King's adaptations, but in a wide meaning of the word "adaptations" : it is not solely about the movie adaptations (the movies / series / short movies, dollar babies / documentaries / theater, musical / cameos is the biggest section of the book), but it also deals with the video games, the illustrations, the comics & graphic novels, the musical adaptations (which includes subsections about Stephen King as a singer / Stephen King as a reader of audiobooks / Stephen King's essays ins albums), and the french translations.
This 2014 version is available worldwide on amazon, for about 10€ / $10 / £8, or as an ebook for 2€. Furthermore, the Club Stephen King organise a contest with 10 ebooks given away, and they will add another 10 ebooks for each 100 social shares on Facebook / Twitter.
"You love Stephen King books, but have you ever wondered :
- If you have seen all the movies based on Stephen King's work?
- If you are missing some of the DVDs?
- If one of the stories that you love have been adapted? With which actors?
- You have noticed Stephen King in a movie, but you are not sure.
- Where to find documentaries about Stephen King?
- If there are video games or comics based on his work?
Have you read everything that had been published in France?
As a french collector, you are looking for a first edition but do not know his specifics?
This book will help you answering all those questions, but also fullfilling your movie collection!
Richard Chizmar and Brian James Freeman of Cemetery Dance Publications have joined forces with the cutting edge team at Hydra, a division of Random House, to launch a series of horror eBook anthologies called Dark Screams that will collect horror stories from the best authors working in the business today!
About the Book:
Stephen King, Kelley Armstrong, Bill Pronzini, Simon Clark, and Ramsey Campbell are the first contributors to a mind-bending new series of short-story collections that push the boundaries of horror and dark suspense to the bleeding edge. From Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar of the acclaimed Cemetery Dance Publications, Dark Screams: Volume One reaches across genres to take readers beyond the precipice of mortal toil and into the glimmering void of irreality and beyond.
WEEDS by Stephen King
When a meteorite lands on his property, Jordy Verrill envisions an easy payday. Unfortunately for Jordy, this is no ordinary rock—and the uncompromising force inside has found its first target.
THE PRICE YOU PAY by Kelley Armstrong
Never pay more than you owe. Sounds like easy advice to follow. But for Kara and her childhood friend Ingrid, some debts can never be repaid . . . especially those tendered in blood.
MAGIC EYES by Bill Pronzini
Edward James Toliver has found a weary sort of asylum among the insane. He knows he's not one of them—but how can he tell anyone about the invaders without sounding that way?
MURDER IN CHAINS by Simon Clark
Imagine awaking to find yourself in an underground vault, chained by the neck to a murderous lunatic, a grunting goliath who seems more animal than man. What would you do to save yourself?
THE WATCHED by Ramsey Campbell
Little Jimmy gets a glimpse of the cold truth when he finds out that it's not always what you see that can get you into trouble; it's who knows what you see.
Finally some IT news has been arriving. According to the project’s producer Dan Lin the plan is to start official prep in March for a summer shoot. Lin also says his big plan is to split King’s sprawling novel into two movies.
“The book is so epic that we couldn’t tell it all in one movie and service the characters with enough depth. The first film, then, will be a coming-of-age story about the children tormented by It, while the second will skip ahead in time as those same characters band together to continue the fight as adults.”
All though Fukunaga is only committed to directing the first film, Lin says the in-demand helmer is currently closing a deal to co-write the second.
When King read the script his comment was this:
Go with God, please! This is the version the studio should make.
Over the years many have tried to crown the #1 Stephen King book but has anyone asked the fans? Well, I did back in 2012 but I realized that since then there has been five more books has been released. Will those five make a change? Where do they place themselves on the list? Well, I want to find out and I hope that you do too.
Head over to the voting page and cast your vote now. Please also help spread the word about it so we can get enough votes!
Today is a very sad day because a friend and King expert; Rocky Wood has passed away. I think many of us knew he was terminally ill. I have for years but I had no idea that it would happen so soon.
I never met Rocky in person but we spoke through email and he often sent me news bits for the site, the last one less than a month ago. I will miss him a lot!
Walk in peace my friend, there are other worlds than these...
Entries for the contest are starting to come in and it looks good. And remember that "illustrate" can be anything you want. Text, a photo, several photos, drawings, a song…well you get the idea. It can be anything you want it to be.
Good luck and why not use the free time during Thanks Giving (those of you that celebrate that) to go all in? Here are all the details
I have a photo of the cast from Haven (Emily Rose, Lucas Bryant, Adam Copeland and Eric Balfour) that they all have signed and now I’m going to give it away to one of you. The only thing you need to do is enter this contest.
Usually there are a lot of rules with a contest but not this time. This time I want to give you the freedom to do what you want…almost. The only thing I’m going to give you is a one sentence instruction and then it’s up to you to run with it. And as long as you follow it you can’t go wrong.
I will then judge the entries and select a winner and I will tell you this. I will be picking the winner out of what I like, what I think is creative and what I think is fun. I want to be able to see that you have put some thought into it. OK, are you ready? Here it comes:
"Illustrate a trouble"
If you don’t know what this means you have probably not seen Haven but if you have you should know what I mean. Now it’s up to you. Run wild and send in your entry no later than December 20.
Send your entry to me by email info[a]liljas-library.com and if you for any reason can’t send it by email. Please email me and we’ll work it out. OK, Good Luck!
Here is an interesting podcast from Politics & Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C. where King discusses his new book, Revival, and takes questions from the audience.
William Shatner, the iconic Star Trek captain, recently teased on Twitter his gig on the Syfy series. Now, TVLine reveals that Shatner will recur in a four-episode Season 5 arc in "a seminal role," as a pivotal character that has the potential to forever impact the fate of the town of Haven and its Troubled residents.