Not long now until End of Watch comes out, the final installment in the Mr. Mercedes trilogy. King is doing a major tour for this book, with twelve stops between June 7 and June 18. The June 16 event in Albuquerque is of particular interest because George R.R. Martin will be interviewing King. Most of the events have already sold out (some in almost record time), but you can find the list of venues here.
After years of saying “no news yet” with reference to the Dark Tower movie, things are finally moving forward. The current release date is set at February 17, 2017, and the following people have been cast: Idris Elba (Roland), Matthew McConaughey (Man in Black), Jackie Earle Haley (Richard Sayre), Fran Kranz (Pimli Prentiss), Tom Taylor (Jake), Abby Lee (Tirana) and Katheryn Winnick (unknown). Some early photos from the set appeared a few days ago, and some of them disappeared soon after! So what do we take away from all this? It appears that Sombra Corporation will play a major part in the first movie. This is emphasized by the appearance of a website for Sombra Group, which has all the hallmarks of being a tie-in to the motion picture. After I tweeted about the website, I was immediately followed on Twitter by Richard P. Sayre, CEO. So there’s that. The website seems to be evolving, so check back often to see what’s going on there.
The long-awaited documentary Unearthed & Untold: The Path to Pet Sematary is finally coming out, and based on the trailer (which you can see here) it looks like it was well worth the wait. Unearthed & Untold features interviews with director Mary Lambert and the entire cast, including Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, Miko Hughes, Brad Greenquist, Susan Blommaert, the Berdahl Twins and many more. The film also features never-before-seen footage from the sets in Maine, interviews with key crew and the townspeople, and is packed full of bonus features, including a fan appreciation sizzle reel, and a personal interview with the documentary filmmakers. The documentary will have a promotional release between April 27th and May 18th, giving people a chance to see it well in advance of its official release, currently set for October 2016. Check out this article for information on how to order the advanced release.
A feature-length version of the behind-the-scenes video that has previously only accompanied the UK DVD of Creepshow will be released this year, too. It’s called Just Desserts: The Making of Creepshow, and Fangoria has all the details.
Forthcoming publications:
- King will have a short story called “The Music Room” in the anthology In Sunlight or In Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper, edited by Lawrence Block. The book will be published in December.
- A new non-fiction book titled Hearts in Suspension will be published this fall. It is a collection of essays by King and others about his time as a student at the University of Maine.
- To celebrate the book’s twentieth anniversary, The Green Mile is being republished in digital, serialized form between now and the end of June.
Recent appearances:
- King wrote an opinion piece for the Boston Globe: Protective netting at Fenway? Thanks, but no thanks
- An interview in the UK’s Radio Times: Stephen King on the state of British TV – and why there won’t be a President Trump
- An interview in the UK’s The Telegraph: Stephen King: why JFK is a talisman and Trump doesn’t have a clue
- The Daily Beast: Stephen King Talks JFK, Oscars Diversity, and ‘Bulletproof’ Donald Trump
- King declares his love for Kim Novak in Crush
- A new commercial featuring King and IBM’s Watson
Movie/TV adaptation news:
- The first It movie will film in Toronto from June 27 to September 6 this year. The remake, which will aim for an R-rating, will start with a movie that focuses on the kids’ point of view. No casting has been announced. New Line and Warner Bros. recently announced a release date of September 8, 2017.
- Spike TV has greenlit a series based on The Mist, ordering 10 hour-long episodes. The series goes into production this summer, and is slated for a 2017 debut.
- Saban Films has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to Cell, which will be available on Ultra VOD June 10, and in theaters from Saban Films and Lionsgate July 8. In the UK, it will debut in theaters on August 26. Here’s the trailer — looks pretty good!
- If you missed it on Hulu or you just want to own a copy of the series, 11.22.63 comes to DVD and Blu-ray on August 9. In addition to the eight episodes, the release has an interview with King, Abrams, Carpenter and Franco.
- Samuel L. Jackson is rumored to be the main contender to play Rev. Jacobs in Revival.
- Akiva Goldsman is adapting Doctor Sleep for the big screen.
- Mike Flanagan is still thinking about adapting Gerald’s Game.
Don’t forget to check out Stephen King Revisited. We’re up to Pet Sematary.
Will S.King ever finish The Plant?
I have my doubts that he ever will. He’s given up on it twice already.