Hollywood’s seemingly insatiable appetite for Stephen King material shows no sign of letting up anytime soon.
Case in point: The Hollywood Reporter brings word today that James Wan (Aquaman, The Conjuring) and Roy Lee (It: Part 2) are set to spearhead a big-screen adaptation of The Tommyknockers, one of King’s most haunting sci-fi thrillers that originally hit store shelves in 1987. It’s also one of his best-sellers, after its initial hardcover release outsold such classics as It, The Shining and even Carrie.
Also on board for The Tommyknockers is Larry Sanitsky, who executive produced the 1993 television miniseries which cordially invited viewers into the quaint town of Haven, Maine, where Roberta (Bobbi) Anderson stumbles upon an ancient spacecraft, only to accidentally release a dangerous and potentially mind-altering gas upon the local townsfolk. And things only go from bad to worse.
King would later describe The Tommyknockers as an “awful” story (his words, not ours) so it’ll be interesting to discover how James Wan and Roy Lee plan to extract the better qualities out of this sci-fi/horror oddity.
Having held on to screen rights for years, Larry Sanitsky believes the time is nigh for a movie adaptation:
It is an allegorical tale of addiction (Stephen was struggling with his own at the time), the threat of nuclear power, the danger of mass hysteria and the absurdity of technical evolution run amuck. All are as relevant today as the day the novel was written. It is also a tale about the eternal power of love and the grace of redemption.
THR’s report goes on to state that The Tommyknockers could prompt a bidding war between studios – Netflix included – as we approach Easter Weekend, and the involvement of James Wan and Roy Lee will only work to the project’s advantage. More on this story as it develops.