Stephen King’sThe Talismanmay finally become a movie. It’s been revealed that Mike Barker has been tapped to direct the adaptation, making him the latest filmmaker to take a crack at this one, which has been attempted several times in the past. Thanks to the success ofITin 2017, it’s been a true golden era for King adaptations on both the big and small screen, with virtually every studio doing what they can to get in on the action. Now, Amblin and the Kennedy/Marshall Company are taking their turn.
According to a new report,Mike Barker, best known for his work on TV shows likeThe Handmaid’s TaleandFargo, has been tapped to helmThe Talisman. Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall’s the Kennedy/Marshall Company are behind the project. Frank Marshall will produce for their company, while Michael Wright will executive produce on behalf of Amblin. It’s well worth noting that Spielberg has expressed his desire, specifically, to not only work with a Stephen King project, but that he’s had his sights set onThe Talisman.
The last actual update we got on the project came in October 2017 when it was revealed thatJosh Boone(The Fault In Our Stars), had been tapped to direct. He has since moved on and is attached to CBS' new series adaptation ofThe Standinstead. Now, it’s up to Mike Barker to try and finally get this movie made. Some of his other credits include the seriesOutlander,BroadchurchandThe Tunnel. All of his TV work has been quite cinematic in nature. On the feature side, he’s helmedBest Laid Plans,A Good WomanandShattered.
For those who may not be familiar,The Talismancenters ona twelve-year-old by the name of Jack Sawyer. He embarks on an epic quest from the coast of New Hampshire to the California coast, to find a talisman that can save the life of his dying mother. Jack’s very long walk takes him into the Territories, a parallel medieval universe, where most people from his own universe have a copy known as ‘twinners.’ Coincidentally, the Twinner to Jack’s mother, in that universe, is also dying.
This is viewed as one of the last holy grails of Stephen King’s body of work that has yet to be brought to the screen. The timing is perfect. Not only didITbecome the highest-grossing horror movie ever (with the sequel on the way this year), butThe ShiningsequelDoctor Sleepis also set to hit theaters later this year. Plus,Pet Semataryhas a brand new movie adaptation on the way next month and it’s set to premiere at SXSW this coming Saturday. Couple that with projects like HBO’sThe Outsiderand it really is King’s world, we’re just living in it. There is currently no indication on just how soonThe Talismancould enter production, but we’ll be sure to keep you posted as any further details are made available. This news was first reported byCollider.
