As a die-hard fan of Stephen King, I can confidently say that 2024 was a year to remember! From the long-awaited adaptations of “The Long Walk” and “Fairy Tale” to the milestone celebration of Carrie’s 50th anniversary, it seems like there’s no end to the King Beat.
Wishing you all a joyous Thanksgiving, dear King Beat readers! This festive occasion, occurring towards the close of the year, offers us all a moment to pause and reflect on our lives, acknowledging what we’re thankful for – and in 2024, there was an abundance to be grateful for as Stephen King fans. We were blessed with a fresh book (the anthology You Like It Darker, published in May) and a new film adaptation (Gary Dauberman’s Salem’s Lot debuted in October), but the excitement didn’t stop there! There was also news of promising advancements that promise many more exhilarating experiences in the years to come.
In this special holiday edition of The King Beat, we’re diving deep into the world of Stephen King! Over the past year, there has been an abundance of exciting updates related to King (hence why this column exists), but I’ve chosen to reflect on the highlights from the last 11 months. These standout moments have not only strengthened King’s legacy, but they also hint at even greater things to come! Let’s dive right in and explore all the amazing discoveries we’ve made!
As We Get To The End Of 2024, Let’s Reflect On The 13 Best Stephen King-Related Stories Of The Year
Reflecting on Stephen King-related headlines from 2024, a wave of mixed feelings washed over me regarding the streaming plans for Salem’s Lot and William Sadler’s disclosure about improvising a line in The Shawshank Redemption that significantly alters the perception of his character. However, I chose to focus on sharing the 13 most captivating stories, and here are the ones that made the cut.
Stephen King Finishes And Publishes A Short Story It Took Nearly 50 Years To Complete
You Like It Darker” is a compilation of unique tales, among them the sequel to “Cujo” titled “Rattlesnakes,” but the book’s last story stands out as it was a work-in-progress for Stephen King for almost half a century before completion. The author initially began writing “The Answer Man” in the 1970s, but the unfinished manuscript went missing. It was only recently found by his nephew, making it fitting that he would complete it decades later as the novella covers the entire adult life of its central character.
The Life Of Chuck Has An Award-Winning World Premiere At The Toronto International Film Festival
In 2024, only one new Stephen King movie, titled Salem’s Lot, was publicly released. However, an adaptation of The Life Of Chuck by Mike Flanagan premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and is expected to create a significant impact in 2025. The film won the festival’s prestigious People’s Choice Award, and it’s interesting to note that movies that have received this honor often end up being Academy Award Best Picture nominees.
Carrie Is In Development As A Miniseries From Prime Video From Mike Flanagan
In 2025, Mike Flanagan will be releasing “The Life Of Chuck,” and he is committed to creating an exceptional version of “The Dark Tower.” However, his lineup of upcoming Stephen King projects doesn’t stop there. As part of the filmmaker’s agreement with Amazon Prime Video, a new miniseries based on “Carrie” is in the works. Flanagan has pledged to provide a fresh perspective that sets it apart from previous adaptations, which encompass two theatrical films, a TV movie, and a stage musical.
The Institute Survives Extended Development, Finds A Home On MGM+
For several years, Jack Bender pursued a suitable platform for his TV rendition of “The Institute,” which he envisioned as a Stephen King-inspired continuation of the underappreciated series “Mr. Mercedes.” However, it was merely in the past few months that this fresh television production received approval from MGM+. The 2019 novel revolves around a secretive organization that kidnaps and tests children with psychic powers, and the show has advanced swiftly in development, boasting a star-studded cast including Mary Louise Parker and Ben Barnes. Production is set to commence by the end of 2024.
In this new adaptation, the scope of Stephen King’s pandemic epic “The Stand” will significantly broaden, offering fresh insights into the world as depicted in “The End of the World As We Know It”.
One of the most marvelous things about Stephen King’s The Stand is its remarkable scope, as it’s able to balance the narratives of many complex characters – but as vast as the story is, it’s noteworthy that we only know about events that take place within the United States. That will soon change with the release of The End Of The World As We Know It: Tales Of Stephen King’s The Stand, which is a collection of short stories from a number of writers set within the canon of King’s epic. The new book will be published in 2025 and include multiple stories that take place outside of North America (including one in space).
Holly Gibney’s Story Will Continue In 2025 With Never Flinch
In 2025, it wasn’t a matter of whether Stephen King would publish another book; instead, everyone was curious about its subject matter. As it turns out, the upcoming novel is another thrilling escapade starring the endearing detective Holly Gibney, titled Always Holly, Never Flinch. This will be King’s third story centered around Holly (after “If It Bleeds” novella and 2023’s book named simply Holly), but the new book marks his seventh work to feature the character.
Mike Flanagan discusses the ongoing progress of his adaptation of The Dark Tower series as he works on his upcoming movie based on The Exorcist.
As someone who’s been left disappointed before with adaptations of Stephen King’s works, especially The Dark Tower, I can’t deny the apprehension that surfaces whenever there’s a hint of gloom about its progress. That’s why it was reassuring when Mike Flanagan cleared the air this summer regarding his future projects. This filmmaker is fully engaged in bringing the next chapter to the Exorcist series, but he’s not letting go of The Dark Tower dreams just yet. He understands that it’s a massive undertaking and needs time to simmer on the back burner before it can finally be served up.
Stephen King Reveals He Is Creatively Back In Mid-World/The Territories
The author Peter Straub, who collaborated on “The Talisman” and “Black House” with Stephen King, passed away in 2022. However, before his death, they had discussed a plan to finish their fantasy/horror trilogy. This year, King shared with fans that he has re-immersed himself creatively within that world. While King hasn’t guaranteed that it will result in something, this news is still an intriguing development for fans.
The Long Walk Screenwriter Confirms That The Adaptation Will Be Just As Dark As Fans Hope
Understanding why Stephen King’s novel “The Long Walk” has taken so long to become a movie is straightforward: it’s a profoundly dark tale that revolves around a group of teenagers participating in a grueling march, disguised as a game or competition. Despite its grim nature, screenwriter JT Mollner assures us that the forthcoming adaptation, directed by Francis Lawrence, will remain faithful to the source material and deliver the intense film that devoted fans have been eagerly anticipating.
As a gaming enthusiast, I can’t help but get excited about the full trailer for Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey. This thrilling ride could potentially be the first Stephen King comedy – albeit an outrageous and gory one!
In recent months, we’ve seen several previews for upcoming Stephen King projects in 2025, such as the HBO series “Welcome To Derry” and now, the trailer for Osgood Perkins’ movie “The Monkey.” What sets this film apart is its apparent status as the first King adaptation to be made as a comedy. While other movies and shows have humorous moments, Perkins seems to be pioneering a new direction with his follow-up to “Longlegs.” Excited fans can catch “The Monkey” in theaters on February 21, 2025.
Stephen King Wrote His First Animated Short, Which Premiered On Halloween
One might assume that, given Stephen King’s extensive career, he would have exhausted his creative “firsts.” However, this assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. In 2024, King penned his first original animated short film, proving that his well of creativity remains abundant. Titled Dark Corners, this family-friendly horror series featured King’s story, Lily. This tale centers around a timid boy who makes a startling revelation after being dismissed from class to use the restroom.
After many years of movie production development, the fairy tale has undergone a shift backstage and is now transforming into a mini-series.
Fans of Stephen King have been left in the dark for quite some time regarding the adaptation of “Fairy Tale”. When Paul Greengrass was attached to write and direct the film upon its initial publication in 2022, there was much excitement. However, it wasn’t until recently that we got a clear picture of what had transpired behind the scenes. It appears that transforming the novel into a feature film proved impossible, so instead, “Fairy Tale” is now being developed as a miniseries by A24, rather than being a blockbuster movie distributed by Universal Pictures.
Carrie Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary
2024 saw no greater occasion regarding Stephen King’s literary legacy than the 50th anniversary of his groundbreaking novel. The tale of Carrie, with Tabitha King retrieving early drafts from the trash and urging her husband to continue writing it, is a story that has become legendary. However, it’s equally astounding to examine King’s prolific body of work over the past five decades and the remarkable influence he’s had on popular culture.
This concludes our column for this week, but rest assured I’ll return here on TopMob next Thursday with another installment of King Beat, offering insights into the current happenings surrounding Stephen King. Until then, feel free to delve into King’s history in film and television through my series Adapting Stephen King.
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2024-11-28 20:07