As a die-hard fan of both horror and Stephen King, I must say that this latest round of updates has me practically dancing with excitement! Flanagan’s vision for The Exorcist franchise is nothing short of intriguing, and I can hardly wait to see what he does with The Dark Tower.
2025 seems shaping up as an exceptional year for Stephen King fans like myself, brimming with numerous adaptations of his books hitting the big screen and two fresh TV series making their debut. However, if you can’t bear the wait for more King content, rejoice! A thrilling new short film penned by the master of horror himself is on the horizon and will soon be available online.
Of course, dedicated King Beat followers! You’re not just getting one headline in this week’s roundup of significant Stephen King news. There’s more to explore, such as my thoughts on Mike Flanagan’s upcoming Amazon miniseries adaptation of Carrie, and major updates about the author’s latest book, hinted at back in July. Let’s delve into it all!
Stephen King Has Written An Animated Short That Will Be Debuting Online Very Soon
Fans of Stephen King have been fortunate to read many fantastic short stories from the author, and it was merely a few months ago that we were able to acquire copies of “You Like It Darker” to savor the 13 spine-tingling tales hidden within its pages. As Halloween approaches, King enthusiasts can look forward to another delightful surprise, as an animated short story penned by him is anticipated to be released online in the near future.
The series, titled “Dark Corners Films,” is coming to YouTube from filmmakers Kate Siegel, Krsy Fox, and Mali Elfman. This series caters to a younger audience, from preschool to high school, who are interested in the horror genre. Each video is rated based on its level of scariness, using a scale of one to five pumpkins. Notable contributors include Stephen King, Heather Langenkamp (known for “Nightmare On Elm Street”), and Paul Tremblay (author of “A Head Full Of Ghosts” and “The Cabin At The End Of The World”).
Some previews are now available for viewing as certain videos have already been released online. Among them is Langenkamp’s tale, rated “one pumpkin” and titled “Max And The Messy Monster,” which you can check out below.
On the less frightening end of the spectrum lies Paul Tremblay’s “The Notes,” where a chilling narrative unfolds about a game played between a boy and his babysitter, which unfortunately takes an alarming turn.
The latest addition online goes by the name “Dimples,” a production by Kate Siegel, who has just stepped into the director’s chair for the first time in the horror anthology “V/H/S Beyond,” where she directed one of its segments.
The only bad news here is that the Dark Corners contribution from Stephen King is a total mystery right now. We don’t yet know if it will be an original piece or an adaptation of one of his existing short stories, and we don’t know exactly when it will be premiering. That being said, you can be one of the first in the world to watch it by subscribing to the YouTube channel.
Mike Flanagan Makes Phenomenal Stephen King Adaptations, But I Have Concerns About His New Carrie Series
Currently, there’s little doubt about Mike Flanagan’s exceptional filmmaking abilities, especially when it comes to bringing Stephen King’s stories to life. His previous works like “Gerald’s Game” and “Doctor Sleep” have already secured spots among the greatest King adaptations ever made. Another adaptation, “The Life Of Chuck,” is set for release next year following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last month. Given Flanagan’s consistent success with King’s work, one might think apprehension would be unwarranted. However, despite his proven track record, I find myself feeling uneasy upon hearing that he’s working on a new miniseries adaptation of “Carrie” as part of the TV deal his company struck with Amazon in late 2022.
Of my two principal concerns, one is very simple: do we not already have enough Carrie adaptations? Director Brian De Palma’s film from 1976 still stands up as a horror classic, and we’ve already seen two other subpar remakes try and fail to match its magic – including the 2002 TV movie (which does at least experiment with the non-linear structure from the epistolary novel) and the pointless 2013 feature from filmmaker Kimberly Peirce. I’m unclear what further needs to be said bringing this material back to the screen.
“Another surprising aspect of this news story is the format chosen: an eight-part miniseries. Firstly, while there are many Stephen King novels that could fill this extensive narrative space, ‘Carrie’ isn’t one of them because King’s groundbreaking novel is quite short compared to others. Secondly, and more importantly, there’s the issue of pace. With the famous ending of this well-known tale (where Carrie gets drenched in pig’s blood at the prom, triggering a telekinetic rampage) being widely known to almost everyone, it seems challenging to balance seven hours of backstory with that familiar climax.
In a short while, I could find myself regretting my initial skepticism about Mike Flanagan’s abilities, given his impressive track record of creating three exceptional Stephen King adaptations, along with numerous original masterpieces. At present, however, my doubts outshine my excitement for the upcoming remake of Carrie. However, I am eagerly looking forward to seeing how he plans to shape the future of The Exorcist franchise and, without a doubt, his work on The Dark Tower adaptation.
I’ll closely monitor the progress of this project as it advances in its stages. In the meantime, enthusiasts of Flanagan can eagerly wait for the cinematic premiere of “The Life Of Chuck” next summer and eagerly await his unnamed “Exorcist” movie, which will begin production next year and is aiming for a release date on March 13, 2026.
Stephen King’s Next Book Has Revealed Both A New Title And A New Release Date, And It’s Now Available For Pre-Order
Wrapping up our weekly updates, we’ve got some exciting news about Stephen King’s upcoming novel! Following the release of his short story collection “You Like It Darker” this summer, he has now revealed more details about his next book. The title, release date, and a formal plot summary are all out in the open!
In July, King hinted that he was working on his next book featuring his cherished detective character Holly Gibney, picking up from the Mr. Mercedes trilogy, The Outsider, the novella “If It Bleeds”, and Holly. Originally titled Always Holly, it has been revealed this week that the title will now be Never Flinch instead. This book is scheduled to go on sale almost exactly a year after the release of You Like It Darker, which is on May 27th, 2025.
As reported by specialist publisher Cemetery Dance, they have commenced taking orders for both regular and slipcase editions of the book titled Never Flinch. This intriguing narrative revolves around the exploits of Holly Gibney, a character endowed with remarkable investigative abilities. The plot unfolds as Holly is tasked with protecting a women’s rights activist during her lecture tour. The primary motive for her recruitment stems from the persistent stalking of her employer by an individual who seems to be escalating into a more dangerous adversary.
Beyond this already tense situation, Holly is additionally needed by Detective Izzy James, a police associate, who is pursuing a ruthless killer with a vengeful plan to eliminate “thirteen innocent victims and one culprit.
As of now, Stephen King’s sixty-seventh novel will be “Never Flinch,” counting all his Richard Bachman books, collaborative titles, short works like “Cycle Of The Werewolf” and “Elevation,” among others. This is an astounding number of novels written over the span of 51 years, especially considering that this total doesn’t account for collections, non-fiction pieces, or screenplays. Remarkably, there hasn’t been a single year since 1976 without at least one new King book; “Never Flinch” was just published after a hiatus between the releases of “Salem’s Lot” and “The Shining.
It should go without saying that I’ll be counting down the time until Never Flinch’s arrival (it’s now 215 days away), and as more cool information comes to light about the work in the coming weeks/months, you can be sure I’ll include updates in this column.
This week’s episode of The King Beat has come to an end, but join me again next Thursday on TopMob for the latest news about Stephen King! In the interim, immerse yourself in the entire history of King in film and television with my series titled “Adapting Stephen King.
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2024-10-24 19:07