Stephen King fans can rejoice because less than two weeks after the King of Horror published his latest novelFairy Tale, it has already been set for a film adaptation withThe Bourne Ultimatum’s Paul Greengrass as director.
The new book by literary giant King, published by Scribner on September 6, has already shot to best-seller status after less than two weeks. In the book, 17-year-old Charlie has learned to fend for himself after his mother died in a tragic accident and his father retreated into the bottle. By some chance, he became friends with a reclusive old man down the street. But when the old man dies, Charlie discovers a portal to another world hidden in his shed.
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That King’s book would make a stir in the literary world is not surprising. A book critic once joked that King could publish his grocery list and it would become a best-seller. But surprising or not,Fairy Talehas already been set for a big-screen adaptation. According toDeadline, veteran director Greengrass (The Bourne Ultimatum,Captain Phillips,News of the World) will adapt, direct, and produce the film, along with his frequent collaborator, producer Greg Goodman(Three Kings,X-Men: First Class,Captain Phillips).
Next up they will have to find a studio to distribute the film, but with a team like King and Greengrass, it shouldn’t take long. Speaking to Deadline about the acquisition, King said, “Needless to say, I’m a Paul Greengrass fan and think he’s a wonderful choice for this film.” Greengrass added, “Fairy Tale is a work of genius. A classic adventure story and also a disturbing contemporary allegory.” Stephen King fans are thrilled aboutFairy Talebecause it marks a rare return to the fantasy genre by someone who has made his name on horror.
Although the book has some disturbing elements, it is a foray into pure fantasy reminiscent ofThe Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and contains many references to classic fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm variety. King rarely works in the fantasy genre, having for the most part only done so in two major works. The first is his iconicDark Towerseries, which concluded in 2004 and received one additional novel in 2012. The other isThe Talisman, co-written in 1984 with horror author Peter Straub, who recently passed away, and its 2001 sequelBlack House.
After the Earth-shaking success ofGame of Thrones, many studios are scurrying to find their own fantasy series to adapt. Amazon and HBO are currently engaged in an epic battle of their own with theLord of the Ringsprequel seriesThe Rings of Powerand theGame of Thronesprequel seriesHouse of the Dragon. But Amazon also earlier this year released the first season ofThe Wheel of Time, an adaptation of one of the most famous and beloved modern fantasy book series, and Netflix achieved success with its Neil Gaiman adaptation,The Sandman. Given this current fantasy boom and the strength of the King name, the distribution rights forFairy Taleare likely to start a bidding war between several major studios. In the meantime, there are plenty of King adaptations coming soon.
