Between the huge success of It and the growing anticipation ahead of the Hulu series Castle Rock, it’s safe to say that Stephen King Adaptation Fever is still in full force. Hot on the heels of the Doctor Sleep movie announcement comes news of another proposed King-inspired television show: The Bone Church.
Stephen King at a 2017 screening of It in Bangor, Maine. Photo: Scott Eisen (Getty Images for Warner Bros.)
This project is particularly interesting because The Bone Church is a long-form poem. King is, of course, mostly known for his novels and short stories, though at this point he’s so popular that his wide-ranging New England spooky-verse is what’s forming the basis for Castle Rock. Originally penned in the 1960s but not published until a 2009 issue of Playboy (then reprinted in 2015 anthology The Bazaar of Bad Dreams), The Bone Church imagines a boozy storyteller who regales his listener with tales of surviving a surreal and terrifying journey through a jungle while seeking the sinister title landmark.
Deadline broke the news of The Bone Church project, noting the Hollywood names involved are producing partners Chris Long (who executive-produced Mr Mercedes, a recent and well-received King series adaptation for the Audience Network) and David Ayer (best-known for directing Suicide Squad and Bright, with Bright 2 coming soon). So far there’s no news on what network might land The Bone Church, or who will play its haunted and inebriated narrator, but we will be keeping our eyes and ears peeled. Here’s hoping it follows in the footsteps of the many successful King adaptations – and not, say, those of last year’s disappointing Mist TV series or movie misfire The Dark Tower.