As far as adaptations go, this is one I can absolutely trust. Warner Bros. Pictures is reuniting frequent collaborators Mike Flanagan and Stephen King on a new adaptation of The Mist, based on the acclaimed 1980 novella, Deadline reports in an exclusive.
Flanagan will direct and write the screenplay. He will produce through Red Room alongside Tyler Thompson and Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Chris Stone. Alexandra Magistro will also executive produce for Red Room.
In The Mist, a small town in Maine is consumed by a mysterious mist from which otherworldly creatures appear and begin attacking the town. A group of survivors hole up in a local grocery store and attempt to either wait out these monsters or face them head on. The story itself is rife with social commentary and the fragility of social order among humans. The novella originated in the King short story collection Skeleton Crew, and it was previously turned into both a 2007 film and a 2017 TV series.
Fans will remember the 2007 adaptation as starring Thomas Jane, Andre Braugher, and Toby Jones, among others. Written and directed by Frank Darabont, it also saw the inclusion of what would become Darabont’s Walking Dead stars Laurie Holden and Melissa McBride.
The 2007 ending vs the original ending
Famously, the ending of this film–which is vastly different from the novella–has been praised by King himself, with him saying he much prefers Darabont’s ending to his own. That, along with the haunting score and genuinely terrifying monsters and setting, gives Flanagan some rather large shoes to fill. However, as Flanagan’s other King adapted works have proven, if there is one man to do it, he is the one.
Will he follow in Darabont’s footsteps and keep his ending, or will he stick faithfully to the source material and adapt a different version of the film? Time will tell, but this is definitely one to keep an eye on.
Flanagan has directed Gerald’s Game, The Shining sequel Doctor Sleep, and most recently Life of Chuck. He is currently working on a new adaptation of Carrie as a miniseries for Amazon Prime.
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