Another King classic is getting the modern-day treatment
Stephen King has a wealth of books to choose from, but the latest block of adaptations based on his novels have mostly come in the form of movie or TV reboots.
'Firestarter' is another King reboot, and one that's going to hit theatres in the next few months. It follows the long line of other such adaptations like 'IT', 'Carrie' and 'Pet Sematary' (which is getting a sequel) that are getting a fresh set of eyes from modern-day directors.
The original movie from 1984, based on the 1980 novel of the same name, featured a very young Drew Barrymore as the girl with the ability to set anything ablaze. However, reviews of the film were mostly negative, which could be why it rarely features on many lists of Best Horror Movies.
This 2022 reboot stars Zac Efron ('The Greatest Showman') in the central role as Andy, the father of a young girl with superhuman abilities, named Charlie (played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong). Kurtwood Smith ('That '70s Show'), Sydney Lemmon ('Helstrom'), John Beasley ('Everwood'), Michael Greyeyes ('Rutherford Falls') and Gloria Reuben ('Mr. Robot') are also part of the cast.
The Blumhouse and Universal Pictures release will be directed by Keith Thomas ('The Vigil') and will feature a score composed by the legendary John Carpenter and his fellow 'Halloween' franchise composers Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies.
'Firestarter' is far from the only Stephen King movie on the horizon. 'Salem’s Lot', 'The Boogeyman' and 'Mr. Harrigan’s Phone' are all in the pipeline for release in the future.
Watch the trailer for 'Firestarter' below or on YouTube (here).
For more than a decade, parents Andy and Vicky have been on the run, desperate to hide their daughter Charlie from a shadowy federal agency that wants to harness her unprecedented gift for creating fire into a weapon of mass destruction. Andy has taught Charlie how to defuse her power, which is triggered by anger or pain. But as Charlie turns 11, the fire becomes harder and harder to control. After an incident reveals the family’s location, a mysterious operative is deployed to hunt down the family and seize Charlie once and for all. Charlie has other plans.
'Firestarter' will be in cinemas in the US on May 13. Expect an Irish and UK release date soon.