NEWS -

Welcome To Derry Coming To Comic-Com

Posted: July 13, 2025, 11:53
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Welcome to Derry will be at Comic-Con 2025!


WELCOME TO DERRY: SDCC
2025 SPECIAL EVENT

HBO Max is bringing a chilling surprise for IT fans with an exclusive sneak peek of Welcome to Derry!

Saturday, July 26
Room 6DE
9:15-9:45 PM

Join Andy & Barbara Muschietti for a first look at the premiere episode and the debut of a brand new teaser trailer.

Enjoy free ice cream

No registration needed. Seating is first come, first served!

And that's not all:

Keep your eyes peeled on Friday and Saturday for Pennywise inspired pedicabs offering free rides. Brand ambassadors will also be roaming the area with some "chilling sweets.

My Thoughts On The Institute

Posted: July 13, 2025, 00:00
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Here are my thoughts about The Institute that premiers tonight with it's two first episodes.

The series follows King’s book pretty well. There are differences, yes, and they have shortened or removed some scenes, but the feel of the story is still there and all in all I enjoyed it.

My Thoughts On Abraham’s Boys

Posted: July 11, 2025, 10:02
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Here are my thoughts of Abraham's Boys based on Joe Hill's story with the same name.

Abraham’s Boys offers a very different take on vampires and the legendary vampire hunter Van Helsing—but a good one. However, if you’re expecting a lot of neck biting and blood pouring all over the screen, you’ll be disappointed. This is not that kind of movie.

King To Narrate Audio Edition Of Hansel And Gretel

Posted: July 10, 2025, 22:40
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HarperCollins US and Hodder Children’s Books UK announced today that King will narrate the digital audio edition of the picture book Hansel and Gretel, a reimagining of the Brothers Grimm fairytale, retold by Stephen King, with artwork by Maurice Sendak, the Caldecott Medal–winning creator of Where the Wild Things Are. HANSEL AND GRETEL Unabridged Audio Edition will be available for download in the U.S. and Canada from HarperCollins in the US and Hodder Children’s Books in the UK, on September 2, 2025.


Hansel and Gretel brings together two creative legends, each unparalleled in their genius and influence, shaping the literary landscape for kids and adults alike for more than sixty years. In this audio edition, Stephen King brings his signature voice to the classic fairytale of two brave children lost in an eerie and dangerous forest. In the tradition of all the best classic fairy tales, which are meant to be enjoyed aloud, this captivating audiobook makes the perfect gift for fans of King, Sendak, and Grimm fairytales.

“Stephen King's reading of Hansel and Gretel is captivating and thrilling, bringing new depth to this classic tale,” said Lynn Caponera, executive director of The Maurice Sendak Foundation.

In a 1997 behind-the-scenes interview with the producer of the Hansel and Gretel opera, Maurice Sendak said, “‘Hansel and Gretel’ is the most profound of all Grimm fairy tales. Generally speaking, most of Grimm is about heroic children. Hansel and Gretel are the most heroic of them all. . . . It’s the toughest story in the world and people are afraid of it, yet it’s famous because it’s so truthful.” (The Art of Maurice Sendak: 1980 to the Present by Tony Kushner)

“When I was asked if I might be interested in writing a new interpretation of ‘Hansel and Gretel,’ bending it to fit (loosely) with set and costume designs Maurice Sendak had created for the Humperdinck opera of the story, I was interested,” said Stephen King. “When I saw the pictures themselves, I resolved to give it a try. Two of his pictures in particular spoke to me: One was of the wicked witch on her broom with a bag of kidnapped children riding behind her; the other was of the infamous candy house becoming a terrible face. I thought, This is what the house really looks like, a devil sick with sin, and it only shows that face when the kids turn their backs. I wanted to write that! To me, it was the essence of this story and, really, all fairy tales: a sunny exterior, a dark and terrible center, brave and resourceful children. In a way, I have been writing about kids like Hansel and Gretel for much of my life.”

Pitt, Gandolfini & Cruise As Tommy, Bogs & Andy?

Posted: July 2, 2025, 21:54
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Frank Darabont spoke about The Shawshank Redemption with USA Today and revealed that Brad Pitt was supposed to play prisoner Tommy but that he pulled out so he could star alongside Tom Cruise in 1994's Interview With the Vampire.

He also revealed that James Gandolfini was supposed to play Bogs but shortly after accepting the job, Gandolfini pulled out for a bigger role as the thug Virgil in 1993's True Romance.

Even more surprising is that Tom Cruise was gunning to play Andy. Cruise "was close" to playing Andy after attending a table read. But ultimately he pulled out. Darabont says. "But he might have been too big for the movie I wanted to make.

It wasn’t a 'Cool Hand Luke' role where you want Paul Newman. It was a little less bold, more subtle than that.
- Frank Darabont

Today it's hard to imagine Pitt, Gandolfini and Cruise in those roles but what do you think? Could they have pulled it of?

The Stand To Be A Feature Film

Posted: June 25, 2025, 08:22
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Several reports stating that Doug Liman will adapt The Stand for Paramount has appeared. The Stand has been adapted two times already (1994 and 2020) and both times as a series for TV. This time however the plan is to make it as a feature film.

Thoughts…

Carrie Starts Shooting In 10 Days

Posted: June 14, 2025, 23:39
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In an interview about The Life of Chuck Matthew Lillard mentioned Carrie.

Carrie started rehearsals yesterday. All eight episodes are completely shot-listed, every script has been written. We’re 10 days out from shooting and we’re all in the rehearsals together,”

This news probably means we’ll get to see the seris sometime during 2026.

We also hear that Kate Siegel, Michael Trucco, Katee Sackhoff, Rahul Kohli, Crystal Balint, and Danielle Klaudt has been cast for the series.

Schwarzenegger Comments On The Running Man

Posted: June 12, 2025, 19:21
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Arnold Schwarzenegger commented on the new version of The Running Man in an interview with Comic Book.

“I mean, I love the idea that they’re doing a sequel to Running Man, or a remake,” Schwarzenegger said. “I don’t know what it’s going to be, but I mean, because I always felt when we did, Running Man was one of the movies that it did, that it felt like, I think it would have been great if we would have been better prepared for this movie, if we would have had more money for this movie, and if we would have had then … the visual effects, the technology of visual effects, that they have today, all of those things I wished after the movie came out, I felt like it could have been better. It was great, but it could have been better, and I think that they have a good chance now with the new Running Man to make it better. And I hope, for their sake and for my sake, I hope that they will be successful.”


Flanagan On What Carrie Will Not Be

Posted: June 10, 2025, 13:28
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In an interview with Variety about The Life of Chuck Mike Flanagan also talks about what he he is not doing with his upcoming version of Carrie.

Can you talk a bit more about your vision for “Carrie”?

The thing I would say is the original story is half a century old and it’s wonderful. Its themes were about youth and bullying and the consequences of that. I believe that in today’s modern world, the power of what it means to be a bully, the breadth of that and the impact of bullying, have changed a lot. The central tenets are still the same, but it’s about much more than Carrie White. I can’t really talk about what we’re doing, I can only really talk about what we’re not doing. We’re not retelling the story as it’s been told, and we’re not making a show about telekinesis. It’s in there, but that’s not what it’s about. There’s a version of it where Carrie White carries a tragic superhero origin story that goes horribly wrong. I feel like they’ve done that, too. So we’re focused way more on the destruction of a community through these very modern tools. What happens in a world where the internet has created an environment of perceived anonymity? Carrie White in the locker room in every iteration is a horrifying scene. Carrie White in the locker room when people have phones in their hands is a whole different thing.

Flanagan Talks The Dark Tower And Changes Between The Books And Adaptations

Posted: June 9, 2025, 23:39
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Mike Flanagan talk about The Dark Tower with The KingCast and acknowledges that it cannot be a strict adaptation. It sounds like we should be prepared for changes compared to the books.

The question for me is this. If there is a character that he can’t get the right to use (like Father Callahan for example) should he replace it with a different character from another King book or should he replace it with a new character that can do the part? I think I would actually prefer the later, how about you?

Here is what Flanagan said:

[Randal] Flagg you have to. You know you have to get into Father Callahan, like that's not negotiable. Which means that you're going to Warner Brothers, cause they've got 'Salem's Lot,' you got to talk to them. Crimson King is actually a whole different thing, because there's a history of adaptation with 'Hearts in Atlantis,' which pulls in all sorts of stuff based on that deal that shouldn't have been pulled in because it's not in the movie. 'Low Men in Yellow Coats' also, you gotta go to Warner Brothers, because when they optioned the story, that was also included, whether they put it in the movie or not. So there's all sorts of stuff.

I'm aiming for something...it can't be what's in the book, it's not logistically possible. And I think to the cinematic audience, they're not going to pick up on 'Insomnia' the way Constant Readers are. What you need from that is a character with psychic ability, who's going to be brought in as one of the Breakers, and it's going to be really important how you deal with that. What are the other characters in the King universe that could fulfill a role like that and get the fans excited, even though you're changing it?

For me, I'm like what about Abra Stone? When you go into the what if you can't get Father Callahan, which is always a thing that comes up, and I think we can, but what if you can't, well who can fill that role? Who's a character that's presumed dead in another King story who can come into this story and have a similar arc of redemption? Do you go to Dick Hallorann? I'm just saying, what do you do here?

How do you make it so the King fans will lean forward and be excited about this particular change, but that people who haven't read the books and are being introduced to this connected universe will be able to recognize it from their cinematic experience? That's part of what makes this thing so goddamned hard to do.

Most of those decisions don't have to play into the first couple seasons. Luckily, the gift of The Dark Tower is if you do it right, and you start at the beginning, you're dealing with one character following another character in a barren wasteland, where there's not even a structure to distract you. It is one person following another person. It's very simple, and everything is added.

And it's added at the right cadence that you're meeting new characters, and the world is expanding, so that by the time you're arguing about what to do with Father Callahan, and to what extent the Emerald City is going to come into play, by then you've already built enough of this that the audience is with you whether they're familiar with the source material. That's what makes it so goddamned challenging to do.

My Thoughts On The Life Of Chuck

Posted: June 6, 2025, 00:00
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Here are my thoughts on The Life of Chuck.

Never before had a movie been so hyped well before its release as The Life of Chuck. It all started back in September last year when it had a limited premiere attended by King, Mike Flanagan, Mark Hamill and others. Everyone agreed it was a great movie and that all of us King fans would love it. People compared it to Stand By Me, The Green Mile, and The Shawshank Redemption—even calling it an Oscar contender.

Carrie Has It’s Cast

Posted: June 3, 2025, 00:32
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Mike Flanagan’s Carrie has found it’s cast!

Summer Howell is Carrie White
Matthew Lillard is Principal Grayle
Samantha Sloyan is Carrie’s mom, Margaret White
Alison Thornton is Chris Hargensen
Thalia Dudek is Emaline
Siena Agudong is Sue Snell
Amber Midthunder is Miss Desjardin
Josie Totah is Tina
Arthur Conti is Billy
Joel Oulette is Tommy.

King Is Terminating License For The Shawshank Redemption

Posted: June 2, 2025, 09:56
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According to Puck’s “What I’m Hearing” newsletter King is terminating Warner Bros.' copyright license for The Shawshank Redemption. This has raised the question about if a new adaptation is on it’s way. But before you get your hopes up or get angry about it, it could also mean that King is preventing a new version by taking back the rights. I guess the future will tell.

King’s Shawshank Redemption’ redemption: Stephen King’s lawyers have notified Warner Bros. that he will be terminating the copyright license for The Shawshank Redemption, one of my favorite movies. I hope this doesn’t mean he’s gonna set up a new movie or TV series elsewhere. King is pretty aggressive about terminations, Puck’s Eriq Gardner tells me, which makes sense given how robust the market continues to be for adaptations of his books.

What do you think? Do you want a new adaptation of The Shawshank Redemption?

The Black Phone 2 Teaser

Posted: June 1, 2025, 02:03
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Teaser for Joe Hill’s The Black Phone 2. Link posted by Joe himself on Threads and since the movies title isn’t shown a few people asked if this was a fan made teaser and it’s not according to Joe.

My Thoughts On Never Flinch

Posted: May 27, 2025, 00:00
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Here are my thoughts about Never Flinch.

I know Holly divides King’s fans. Many like her, but many have had enough of her and want King to move on. Personally, I’m somewhere in between. I feel comfortable with Holly. We know her, and we know what we get. It’s like seeing an old friend again. However, seeing an old friend isn’t always that exciting, and I feel a bit of that here too.

T3, Holly And Hansel & Gretel

Posted: May 24, 2025, 14:59
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Highlights from an interview King just did with Toronto Star.

- King just finished working on a draft of Talisman 3.

“I call it ‘T3.’ It’s done, so now I wander around the house and try to catch up with the real world.”

- About Hansel & Gretel

That project, King said, appealed to him because the essence of the story features “a sunny exterior, a dark and terrible centre, brave and resourceful children.”

- If there will be more Holly?

“Holly has become a part of my life. I’m always interested in what’s going on with her. I have an idea: what if Holly runs across a serial killer, somebody who is very charismatic? Like the hunky guy in a Colleen Hoover book. Only bad.”

Stephen King: Odds & Ends Cover Reveal

Posted: May 21, 2025, 09:46
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Today I'm happy to announce my new book about Stephen King called Stephen King: Odds & Ends. It will be released from BearManor Media soon and the cover (done by Anders Jakobson) looks like this!

In his third book about Stephen King, Lilja explores some of the less well-known projects by the famous author.

Titled "Stephen King: Odds & Ends" the book reveals interesting details Lilja discovered, along with insights from people who have firsthand experience with these unique endeavors.

The Institute Pilot Is 90 Minutes Long

Posted: May 19, 2025, 15:13
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Based on info from SXSW official site the pilot of The Institute is 90 minutes long.

The Institute
Teen genius Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman) wakes up in a strange place full of children who got there the same way he did, and who all, like him, possess unusual abilities. That is The Institute, ran by the mysterious Ms Sigsby (Mary-Louise Parker). In a nearby town, haunted former police officer Tim Jamieson (Ben Barnes) has come looking to start a new life, but the peace and quiet won’t last, as his story and Luke’s are destined to collide. Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name and created by the executive producer and director of MGM+’s hit horror series From, The Institute is destined to be horror fans’ new obsession.

Matthew Lillard Joins Carrie

Posted: May 15, 2025, 08:54
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Matthew Lillard has confirmed that he will be in Mike Flanagan’s TV series version of Carrie. In an interview with ComicBook he said:

“Well, first and foremost, Mike Flanagan’s, I think, a brilliant filmmaker, period. Working with him on Life of Chuck was like a dream, and then getting a chance to do this, I’m very honored to be in his world. So, he called, I said yes.

The exciting thing for me here is that he crafted an idea based around what we’re experiencing right now in the world, and shared that with Stephen King, and then Stephen King was like, ‘Oh, that’s a great idea. So, it’s Stephen King’s first published book, it has gone through all these iterations. I think the exciting thing here is that Mike has found a way to make it relevant right now, and I think that it speaks to what we’re all experiencing, and so I think that that’s going to make a difference.”

Lillard didn’t reveal what changes Flanagan has done and so far there is no information about when we’ll be able to see it.

And We Have A Trailer

Posted: May 7, 2025, 17:31
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The book set the pace at 4 mph, but the movie lowers it to a slower and steadier 3 mph. “They changed it at my advice,” King says, “because four miles an hour was just too fucking fast.”

Special feature

King calendar

2026:
Stephen King: Not Just Horror (Portuguese ed.)
2026:
Stephen King: Stories From Five Decades of Storytelling (Portuguese edition)
2026:
Stephen King: Stories From Five Decades of Storytelling (German edition)
2026:
Carrie TV Series
2026:
Stephen King: Not Just Horror (German ed.)

30th anniversary wishes

Latest interviews

Joe Hill
November 3, 2025
JT Mollner
September 18, 2025
Angelina Kekish
February 16, 2021

Latest reviews

The Running Man
November 14, 2025
The End Times
October 28, 2025
Welcome To Derry
October 26, 2025

Books

A complete list of all of Stephen King's books.

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King's best book

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