Last year, audiences were treated to an abundance of Stephen King adaptations, as The Monkey, The Life of Chuck, The Long Walk, and The Running Man all hit theaters. While none of these films were major box office hits, they all earned positive reviews, demonstrating the full breadth of King’s penchant for compelling storytelling. Unsurprisingly, filmmakers continue to be interested in bringing the author’s tales to life on screen — even ones that have already been previously adapted. New takes on the likes of Carrie, Cujo, and The Dark Tower have been announced, and now we can add another title to that list.
According to Deadline, Mike Flanagan has signed on to write and direct a new film adaptation of The Mist. The project appears to be in the early stages of development, as no release date, production timetable, or casting has been announced.
At first glance, it’s a bit surprising to hear a new adaptation of The Mist is in the works. The story has been brought to the screen twice already — first in a 2007 feature film and then a TV series a decade later. Given the plethora of Stephen King stories that haven’t been adapted yet, one would think that Flanagan and Co. would prefer to turn their attention to one of those as opposed to retreading familiar ground, providing viewers with something fresh. However, if there’s any director working today who can find an exciting angle for yet another Mist adaptation, it’s Flanagan.
Flanagan, of course, has made a career for himself out of adapting Stephen King stories. His resume includes highlights like Gerald’s Game, The Life of Chuck, and Doctor Sleep, so he has plenty of experience bringing the author’s works to life. What’s more is that Flanagan’s King-based projects have all been well-received, illustrating he has a keen understanding of what makes them work and how to translate them to a different medium. If this new movie version of The Mist was in the hands of another filmmaker, people would have a right to be skeptical, but Flanagan’s involvement is an encouraging sign that this remake should be worthwhile.
On paper, The Mist is an ideal story for Flanagan’s sensibilities. As some may know, the main plot of The Mist revolves around a group of people trapped in a grocery store as their town is engulfed by the titular mist. Not only are there plenty of opportunities for classic Stephen King horror set pieces, Flanagan should also be able to tap into the emotions at the heart of the narrative. Much of the tension in The Mist stems from how the people in the store react to the perilous situation, turning the story into an exploration of the human condition. The Life of Chuck is obviously a very different kind of text than The Mist, but that film showed Flanagan was more than capable of bringing out the emotional side of King’s work.
Flanagan has a busy schedule ahead, as his Carrie TV show is in post-production and he’s putting together a star-studded cast for the Exorcist reboot. With that in mind, it might be a while before more concrete details about his version of The Mist are revealed, but Warner Bros. wouldn’t be putting this project together now if it was just going to sit on the shelf for several years. The studio knows The Mist has the potential to be something great so it’ll be interesting to see how quickly the film comes together and what Flanagan’s vision for the adaptation is. The 2007 movie famously changed the ending from King’s original text, so Flanagan is bound to have some surprises up his sleeve.
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