After several decades, Steven Spielberg is finally getting to make his Stephen King adaptation of choice a reality. The iconic filmmaker is teaming with Netflix to bring King’s The Talisman to the screen. However, it will be as a series and not as a movie. The project had previously been envisioned as a feature in its various iterations over the years. But now, Spielberg is teaming with the Duffer Brothers, of Stranger Things fame, to bring it to life as a show.
According to a new report, Steven Spielberg will produce The Talisman series alongside Ross Duffer and Matt Duffer. Curtis Gwinn, who previously worked with the Duffers on Stranger Things, is set to serve as both writer and showrunner on the project. There is no word yet on how soon this could end up in production but it does seem to be in the very early stages. Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey are also set to produce with Spielberg.
This one has been a long time coming. Steven Spielberg originally optioned the rights to Stephen King and Peter Straub’s novel back in 1982, a full two years before it was officially published. Various iterations have come and gone ever since but nothing has come to fruition. At one point, Josh Boone (The New Mutants) was attached to direct it as a movie. More recently, Mike Barker (The Handmaid’s Tale) was attached. But nothing came of that either.
The Talisman was originally published in 1984. It centers on a twelve-year-old named Jack Sawyer embarking on an epic quest, a walk from the seacoast of New Hampshire to the California coast. Sawyer aims to find the talisman that will save the life of his dying mother. Jack’s journey takes him into the Territories, a parallel medieval universe where most people from his own universe have a counterpart known as “twinners.” The queen of the Territories, As it happens, the twinner of Jack’s mother’s is also dying.
Steven Spielberg remains busy as ever. The man behind Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park and many other classics most recently wrapped production on his West Side Story remake. It is currently set to hit theaters in December. Whether or not Spielberg will step behind the camera for the Netflix series remains to be seen. As for the Duffer Brothers, they are currently in production on Stranger Things season 4, which is also expected to arrive sometime this year.
Curtis Gwinn has worked as a producer on several high-profile TV shows including The Walking, The Leftovers and Narcos. As for Stephen King, his name has never been more valuable in Hollywood, with many projects based on his books currently in development. Much of that has to do with the success that IT and IT Chapter Two enjoyed at the box office. Recently, we learned that Edgar Wright will be directing a new iteration of The Running Man. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as any further details are made available. This news comes to us via The Hollywood Reporter.