NEWS -

JJ Abrams and The Tower

Posted: March 9, 2007, 00:20

JJ Abrams talks The Dark Tower:

Wired News: Turning to your Stephen King project for a second, The Dark Tower wasn't well-received by most critics or even some die-hard Stephen King fans. What attracts you to the project?

Abrams: This is something that we are just now talking about with Stephen, so it's too early for me to say that we're even officially doing it yet just because the thing is in the early stages of discussion. I love what the The Dark Tower is. Damon Lindelof is obsessed (with it). We met Stephen, who was just the greatest, and hit it off. What's exciting to me about it is that it is a very edgy epic. You could . . . say it's his Tolkien Ring series, but I feel like it has a potential of being a lot more. I think that sense of that great hero, that sort of Western, iconic, almost spaghetti-Western-type hero in this landscape is just an amazing -- it feels iconic to me.

Thanks to Bev Vincent

More Blaze

Posted: March 8, 2007, 16:32

Here is another description of Blaze. This one is from Cemetery Dance:

"Blaze is the story of a giant, mentally challenged man who decides to kidnap a baby and hold it for a $1 million ransom. The novel flips back and forth between the current story of Blaze's kidnapping and flight from the law to stories of his abusive past. There's another character named George, who is Blaze's best friend; it's George who actually convinces Blaze to kidnap the baby. The only problem is, George may or may not be dead, and thus be a psychological manifestation ... or perhaps a ghost."

Thanks to Neil Jarvis

Remake of Children of the Corn?

Posted: March 8, 2007, 16:27

Here are some news about a remake of Children of the Corn from Moviehole.net:

Dimension has been trying to get the “Children of the Corn” back in the summery fields – and theaters – for forever and a day. Finally, It looks like the lil’ blonde bastards may be returning to work.

A few years back, screenwriter Joe Harris (“The Tripper”) was attached to pen a new sequel to the George Goldsmith-penned original… but the plan fell through like a president’s promises.

Now, according to IESB, the plan is to remake the first film - which starred a pre-Terminator Linda Hamilton - with “Saw 3” helmer Darren Lynn Bousman attached to direct. Though the studio, or Bousman’s reps, won’t confirm the news… it sounds like the report is as solid as frozen yogurt.

I haven’t seen the original film in years – maybe a decade – but I did recently pick up a copy of the film for about $2 at a video store closing down sale. I really should give it a look again. From memory, it wasn’t a bad film.

Based on the short story by Stephen King, “Corn” told of a boy preacher named Isaac who goes to a town in Nebraska called Gatlin and gets all the children to murder every adult in town.

Ya know what? For once, I think I’d rather a straight-up remake here… rather than just another sequel. The “Children of the Corn” sequels they were churning out (most of them, direct-to-video) were just bullshit. Near unwatchable. The original film is getting a bit long in the tooth too, so it could probably do with a make-over. Heck, if I don’t remember it that well… then chances are everyone under the age of say, 30, doesn’t remember it at all.

Thanks to Bev Vincent

King spills guts

Posted: March 8, 2007, 16:26

Here is a (very) short interview with King.
Thanks to Bev Vincent

Michael Marshall adapting King

Posted: March 7, 2007, 16:04

Bev Vincent found the following in an interview with Michael Marshall.

At the moment, I'm about to start a television adaptation of a Stephen King short story, and am co-writing and co-producing a feature adaptation of my short story 'Hell Hath Enlarged Herself'.

No word on what story it is or for what channel though. Stay tuned for more…

Thanks to Bev Vincent

No ending for 1408...yet

Posted: March 6, 2007, 18:24

Here is part of an interview with Lorenzo di Bonaventura who's company is producing 1408:

Q: Is "1408” already in production?

Lorenzo di Bonaventura: It’s finished. Not quite. That’s a movie where when we set out, we actually did not shoot the ending. We wanted to see the movie before we shot the ending.

Q: So you haven’t shot the ending?

Lorenzo di Bonaventura: No, we’ve got to shoot the ending. (Laughs) It was a really interesting idea because the idea of doing a real time movie in a hotel – one man in a one-bedroom suite for 80 minutes of real time. We didn’t know how you’d come out of that. Like do you need bigger or do you need smaller? What do you need? Or do you feel like he should die or do you feel like he should live? What do you feel? And so we wrote like 15 different endings because Stephen King’s short story doesn’t really have an ending. It just sort of ends and it’s not a cinematic ending. I’ll say it that way. So that’s the last piece of the puzzle, but it’s really fascinating to have done a movie all in a room and we all went sort of crazy.

Thanks to Bev Vincent

Description of Blaze

Posted: March 6, 2007, 18:23

Here is a description of Blaze from Amazon/UK:

"At 6'7"and just under 300 lbs, Clay Blaisdell is one big mother, but his capers were just small-time until he met George Rackley. George introduced him to a hundred cons and one big idea: kidnapping the child of rich parents. The Gerards are filthy rich, and the last twig on the family tree could be worth millions. There's only one problem: by the time the deal goes down, the brains of the partnership is dead. Or is he? Now Blaze is running into the teeth of a howling storm and the cops are closing in. He's got a baby as a hostage, and the crime of the century just turned into a race against time in the white hell of the Maine woods."

Thanks to Bev Vincent

Pre-order Blaze

Posted: March 5, 2007, 23:17

Now it's time to pre-order Blaze. You can do it here:

US hardback
US audio
UK hardback
UK audio

Set report from The Mist 4

Posted: March 5, 2007, 10:24

Here is the forth and last report from the set of The Mist. This one also includes pictures and all I can say is that The Mist looks like a hit!

Thanks to Anders Jakobson

Set report from The Mist 3

Posted: March 4, 2007, 18:37

Here is the third report from the set of The Mist. This one includes pictures.

More DT comic news

Posted: March 3, 2007, 00:37

These pages from issue #2 was shown on Comic Book Resources so I guess I can do the same.

More DT movie

Posted: March 3, 2007, 00:35

Here is a clarification from King's message board:

"I asked Steve for clarification on this and his response was that no deal has been finalized. If and when one is, it will be a 3 year option which he will sell them for $19. I can tell you from experience that there have been many times when an option has expired before a film is made so even an option doesn't mean it's a done deal. "

Thanks to Bev Vincent

Set report from The Mist 2

Posted: March 2, 2007, 13:00

Here is a second report from the set of The Mist.

My thoughts on The Gunslinger Born #2

Posted: March 1, 2007, 21:04

Now you can check out my review of The Gunslinger Born #2. The issue is released on March 7, don't miss it!

Set report from The Mist

Posted: March 1, 2007, 18:26

Here is a report from the set of The Mist. Quint more will come so stay tuned...

Thanks to Anders Jakobson and Ari

Hello from The Mist

Posted: February 26, 2007, 20:35

Here is a little greeting I got from Frank Darabont at the set of The Mist. It shows Frank, Norm the bag boy and Thomas Jane.

Images from Comic Con...finally

Posted: February 26, 2007, 12:09

Finally there are some images available from The Dark Tower panel at Comic Con. Thanks to Dread Central we can now see what the event looked like. Read about the event and check out their photos here.

Thanks to Johnny Butane

Even more Comic Con

Posted: February 25, 2007, 23:57

Here you can read about the panel discussion about The Dark Tower

More from Comic Con

Posted: February 25, 2007, 19:12

Here is more from Comic Con. Quint over at AICN has done an interview with King that will be published tomorrow but he also has a report about the panel discussion about The Dark Tower:

-Right now there are no plans to bring on any other artist for the Dark Tower comics. King loved Jae Lee's work and says that these books are firmly Lee's, Furth's and David's vision.

-The comics will follow Roland through Mejis (all Book 4 stuff), but it definitely WILL go past Book 4 and all the way up to Jericho Hill, which King demanded a giant splash page from Lee.

- Regarding further Dark Tower comics, King said, "There's always more stories."

- Hal from 2001 inspired Blaine the Mono (and that is the truth).

- When King writes, he doesn't see his characters, he doesn't tend to visualize them. "It's like I'm behind their eyes... maybe if they looked in a mirror..."

- King views the Dark Tower series as a first draft and plans to rewrite the entire series, but he promises he won't make them the Special Editions. The originals will always be out there.

Now for the two biggest newsworthy bits to come out of the panel:

- When asked if he'd turn another one of his books into a comic series with Marvel, King said he and Quesada were just beginning to talk about doing a version of The Stand as a Comic series. That made me perk up. How cool would that be?

- And the JJ Abrams bit. King said that Damon Lindelof and JJ Abrams did express interest, especially Damon, and wanted to develop the project. King said he was resistant to everybody in the past, but trusted Abrams and Lindelof. He said he trusted Frank Darabont, too, but he felt Frank always had too much on his plate. When Abrams and Lindelof approached King about trying to make the project work, King responded, "I'll tell you what... you can option the books and see what you can do with it." Nothing is set up, but they have the option... and if it doesn't work out, then no harm no foul, yeah? How much did Abrams and Lindelof pay for the option? $19, of course.

Report from The Dark Tower panel

Posted: February 25, 2007, 11:42

Here is a report from The Dark Tower panel at Comic Con

The Special Events Hall at the 2007 New York Comic Con was filled to capacity for the Marvel Comics “Dark Tower” panel on Saturday afternoon. And the man everyone was there to see was the last to take the stage. Marvel EIC Joe Quesada moderated the panel, and introduced artist Jae Lee, Robin Furth, Peter David, Ralph Macchio, Richard Isanove and Chris Eliopoulos. Quesada then welcomed to the stage “one of the greatest creators of the last 50 years, maybe ever,” Mr. Stephen King. The vaunted novelist took the stage to thunderous applause, and a standing ovation, and a pair of Imperial Stormtroopers were forced to keep order with the mountain of photographers. “If you keep calling me Mr. King, I’m gonna kick your ass,” King warned Quesada.

Read the complete text

Thanks to Rocky Wood

Roth talks Cell

Posted: February 25, 2007, 11:39

Eli Roth talks about Cell at Comic-Con

In a brief bit of news from NYCC's Hostel Part II panel, filmmaker Eli Roth revealed that Cell, his big screen adaptation of the Stephen King novel, is currently in the script-writing stage and would be his next project.

"Cell… the writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, they were the writers for Ed Wood and 1408, which is an awesome, really scary script. It's going to be so good. They're working a draft right now, so by the time I finish Hostel Part II the script should be ready. I really want to read it."

Focusing on the "curse" of modern technology, Cell tells the story of humanity's last hope — a group of individuals who band together to survive a world infested by zombie-like killing machines. Reverberating through cell phones across the planet, "The Pulse" (as it becomes known) changes all who hear it into relentless killing machines, capable of death and destruction to any one who stands in their way.

Thanks to Rocky Wood

My thoughts on Heart-Shaped Box

Posted: February 25, 2007, 02:17

I have just finished my review of Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box and you're welcome to see what I though abou it here.

Here you can also see what Hill himself had to say about the book on Good Morning America.

Blaze

Posted: February 23, 2007, 19:43

According to Scribner Blaze by Bachman will have a Foreword by Stephen King and be 256 pages long.

Sternhagen still in The Mist

Posted: February 23, 2007, 14:09

I got some mails from some of you about that Frances Sternhagen had been replaced by Marcia Gay Hardin as Mrs. Carmody. This morning I got to ask Frank about it and it is not the case. Sternhagen is still in the movie and she is playing the role of Irene.

Pic's of The Green Mile

Posted: February 23, 2007, 08:24

Here are some pictures of the limited edition of The Green Mile.

Thanks to Ari

The Mist starts shooting

Posted: February 23, 2007, 08:23

Latest news on The Mist:

Marcia Gay Harden and Toby Jones have disappeared into "The Mist," Dimension Films' adaptation of a Stephen King story being helmed by Frank Darabont, who also will produce.

The script, written by Darabont, is set after a strange storm blows through a Maine town and its citizens are attacked by deadly creatures. A group of townfolks barricade themselves in a supermarket and struggle for survival. Thomas Jane, Andre Braugher, Laurie Holden and Amin Joseph already have been cast.

Harden will play Mrs. Carmody, an outspoken and ultimately divisive member of the trapped group; Jones will play Ollie, a mild-mannered supermarket manager who is forced to take heroic measures to save his life and the lives of others.

Shooting begins this week in Louisiana. Castle Rock will produce along with Dimension.

Harden won an Academy Award for her work in 2000's "Pollock" and was Oscar-nominated for 2003's "Mystic River." She will next be seen in "The Invisible," directed by David Goyer, and recently completed production on Paramount Vantage's "Into the Wild," directed by Sean Penn.

British actor Jones played Truman Capote in last year's "Infamous."

Thanks to Bev Vincent

Released dates for DT comic

Posted: February 20, 2007, 23:34

I can now give you the release dates for issue 2, 3, 4 of The Dark Tower comic and the Gunslinger's Guidebook.

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #2: March 7
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #3: April 4
Gunslinger's Guidebook: April 11
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #4: May 2

Blaze to be released on June 12 in the UK as well

Posted: February 20, 2007, 19:14

Hodder & Stoughton has announced that they, like Scribner, will be publishing Blaze, on June 12, 2007.

Colorado covers

Posted: February 19, 2007, 19:27

Here are the three different covers for the limited Colorado Kid
Thanks to Ari

Blaze to be released on June 12

Posted: February 19, 2007, 14:46

Scribner has announced that they will be publishing the first-written but last-recovered Richard Bachman novel titled Blaze, on June 12, 2007.

Thanks to Anders Jakobson

The Pop of King: A Modern Fairy Tale

Posted: February 18, 2007, 01:01

A new Entertainment Weekly column is out and it's called A Modern Fairy Tale. You can read it here. This is the second one in just a few days.

Thanks to Bev Vincent

More signed book at The Haven Foundation

Posted: February 18, 2007, 01:00

This was sent out from King's office today:

The February selection of a signed book through The Haven Foundation will be Hearts in Atlantis (hardcover). The price will be $60 plus shipping. The books will go on sale beginning at 12 noon Eastern Time on February 23rd. We have a total of 25 copies available and will be offering them in small lots at random times throughout the day so that they will not sell out within the first 2 minutes of going on-sale as they did in January. We do not take pre-orders or telephone orders.

The March selection will be Dreamcatcher (hardcover), also at $60 plus shipping, and the April selection will be Black House (hardcover) signed by both Stephen and Peter Straub for $80 plus shipping.

We will announce the dates for the March and April sales in future newsletters.

PLEASE NOTE:

Anyone who has purchased a signed Stephen King book through The Haven Foundation will not be eligible to purchase another signed copy. We have a one signed book per household lifetime limit in order to give as many people as possible the opportunity to get a signed book.

The Pop of King: The Secret Gardiner

Posted: February 16, 2007, 01:46

A new Entertainment Weekly column is out and it's called The Secret Gardiner. You can read it here.

Thanks to Paul Poroshin

Dolan's in trafficking

Posted: February 15, 2007, 08:43

OK, I have some very interesting news for you about the upcoming Dolan’s Cadillac adaptation. It’s correct that Dennis Hopper is indeed interested in being in the movie but it’ll be a movie that is somewhat different from King’s story. The screenplay is however written with King’s blessing.

As in King's story, Dolan is a gangster in Las Vegas but his main business now is human trafficking. The wife isn’t called Francey (as reported earlier). She’s named Elizabeth like in the short story. Also Robinson doesn’t have a first name in the script. He is just referred to as Robinson; a grade school teacher, just like in the story, who must have his revenge upon a well-protected, ruthless gangster in an armored cadillac.

More news to come about this so make sure your on the update list.

Nothing decided about The Dark Tower movie…yet.

Posted: February 14, 2007, 20:10

I just talked to King’s office about the Dark Tower movie rumors and they said that King and J.J. Abrams is talking about it but nothing has been agreed upon yet. So, it could happen but it might not.

J.J. Abrams to direct The Dark Tower?

Posted: February 14, 2007, 08:47

I usually don’t report on rumours until I get it confirmed…and I’m working on getting this one confirmed or denied…but this sounded to big to pass up on. BUT, SEE THIS AS A RUMOUR UNTIL IT’S CONFIRMED:

IGN reported this today:

February 13, 2007 - IGN has exclusively learned that J.J. Abrams is poised to direct The Dark Tower, based on the Stephen King literary series.

Sources advised us that an official announcement is forthcoming. We have been unable to determine whether Dark Tower will be a film project or a TV miniseries, although the latter is a more likely prospect given the complex nature of King's seven-book series. Given Abrams' success on the small screen -- and King's well known love for the Abrams-produced TV series Lost -- the tube seems a better fit for The Dark Tower.

Sources also added that Abrams is indeed only producing Star Trek XI. It was recently reported that Abrams would not direct Trek XI, as many had assumed, but would instead turn his attention to a secret Paramount project titled Cloverfield. Might Cloverfield be a codename for The Dark Tower? Or a completely separate project?

(Interestingly enough, Entertainment Weekly did an interview last year with King, Abrams and his Lost producing partner Damon Lindelof, who reportedly brought a rare first edition of The Gunslinger to the meeting.)

Often described as King's magnum opus, The Dark Tower, as Wikipedia reminds us, "tells the tale of lead character Roland Deschain's quest for the 'Dark Tower.' The Dark Tower is often described in the novels as a real structure, and also as a metaphor. Part of Roland's fictional quest lies in discovering the true nature of the Tower. The series incorporates themes from multiple genres, including fantasy fiction, science fantasy, horror, and western elements."

"In the story, Roland is the last living member of a knightly order known as gunslingers. The world he lives in is quite different from our own, yet it bears striking similarities to it. Politically organized along the lines of a feudal society, it shares technological and social characteristics with the American Old West, as well as bearing magical powers and the relics of a highly advanced, but long vanished, society. Roland's quest is to find the Dark Tower, a fabled building said to either be, or be located at, the nexus of all universes. Roland's world is said to have 'moved on,' and indeed it appears to be coming apart at the seams — mighty nations are being torn apart by war, entire cities and regions vanish from the face of the earth without a trace, time does not flow in an orderly fashion; even the sun sometimes rises in the north and sets in the east. As the series opens, Roland's motives, goals, and even his age are unclear, though later installments shed light on these mysteries."

This news about J.J. Abrams comes on the heels of Marvel's recent launch of the limited comic book series The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born

Thanks to Ari

The secret is out...

Posted: February 12, 2007, 15:42

Unwritten publishing secret out of the 'Box'. While promoting Heart-Shaped Box Joe Hill talks about how it is to be the son of Stephen King.

Look for my review of Heart-Shaped Box later this week.

Thanks to Bev Vincent

Dennis Hopper is Dolan

Posted: February 12, 2007, 14:17

Production Weekly reports that Dolan’s Cadillac is on again:

Dennis Hopper is in negotiations to star in “Dolan’s Cadillac,” based on one of Stephen King’s most suspenseful short stories. Production is scheduled to begin in April, with Hopper playing James Dolan, Las Vegas’ most ruthless and untouchable mob boss. A dark and riveting revenge tale about Las Vegas middle school science teacher Tom Robinson whose beloved wife Francey witnesses an execution in the desert and is then targeted for death by the mobster who committed it, notorious Vegas crimelord Jimmy Dolan. Dolan’s vast wealth stems from his control of The Mandarin casino. Dolan succeeds in having Francey killed before she can testify against him. Faced with resistance from law enforcement, Tom sets out to avenge his wife’s death on his own.

Thanks to Bev Vincent

Jae Lee’s original drawings for sale

Posted: February 8, 2007, 09:31

Do you want to own Jae Lee’s original drawings from the first issue of The Dark Tower comic? here is you chance.

Thanks to John Scoleri

Interview with Frank Darabont

Posted: February 6, 2007, 09:12

As promised, here is my interview with Frank Darabont. I’m glad to tell you that it’s very long and that he talks about everything from The Mist and The Long Walk to The Monkey and even The Dark Tower. Read and enjoy!

More covers...

Posted: February 6, 2007, 09:07

More Dark Tower covers coming:

The midnight release of Stephen King’s Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #1 at nearly 150 retailers across the country is almost here and Marvel wishes all of the retailers participating the best of luck. Marvel is equally as excited as all the retailers and fans across the country and wants to wish unqualified success to every store participating.

"The response we have received from retailers participating in the midnight opening has been overwhelmingly positive. The mainstream attention it has drawn to the direct market and to this first issue is unrivaled in the recent history of the industry. Should this prove as successful as it appears it will be, I think we'll see more of this type of mainstream event happening in the future," said Marvel Senior VP of Sales David Gabriel.

The night of Tuesday, February 6th, comic stores across the United States will be opening their doors for a midnight release for the first time in comics’ history. In a landmark moment for comics, Stephen King fans and comic fans will ring in Wednesday (also known as New Comics Day to comic fans) at 12:01 to get the premiere issue of Stephen King’s Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born.

Marvel also wishes to announce that due to the tremendous popularity of the variant cover program, each issue of Stephen King’s Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born will feature a sketch cover, as chosen by Jae Lee, and an all-new variant cover by one of the top artists in the industry. Issue #2 will feature a variant cover by superstar artist David Finch (New Avengers, Moon Knight) and the sketch cover by Jae Lee seen for the first time here. Stay tuned to Marvel.com for more on who the other variant cover artists will be.

Thanks to Bev Vincent

More The Mist casting

Posted: February 5, 2007, 11:16

In an interview I have done with Frank Darabont he reveals that Frances Sternhagen (Misery), Alexa Davalos, Sam Witwer, Bill Sadler (The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile), Jeff DeMunn (The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile) and Brian Libby (the prisoner in The Woman in the Room) will join Thomas Jane, Andre Braugher and Laurie Holden in The Mist. The full interview will be online tomorrow.

My thoughts on The Gunslinger Born #1

Posted: February 5, 2007, 00:09

Now you can check out my review of The Gunslinger Born #1. The issue is released on Feb. 7, don't miss it!

Dark Tower in L.A. Times

Posted: February 2, 2007, 23:14

Silver Bullet Comics reports about the media coverage of The Dark Tower Comic and about an article in the L.A. Times.

Thanks to Brant W. Fowler

Two review of Gunslinger Born

Posted: February 1, 2007, 23:33

Here are two early reviews of The Dark Tower comic.

Newsarama
Comic Book Resources

Thanks to Bev Vincent and Ari

The Dark Tower in other languages then English?

Posted: January 31, 2007, 12:53

Here is some indications that The Dark Tower comic will be released in other languages then English. This is from a mail sent out from King's official site:

The foreign translated version deals are being worked through now and when we have more information we will let you know in which languages and territories they will available.