Back in January, we reported on a Stephen King anthology horror film directed by Mark Pavia, but had no solid confirmations on which of the prolific author’s stories would be adapted for the screen. Thanks to Fire Wire [via Dread Central] we’re finally able to deliver some updates.
The film will include interpretations of two stories chosen by King, and two stories chosen by Pavia. According to the director, those selected were meant to reflect a range of King‘s work, from “his pulpiest to his most introverted and introspective character pieces.” It was also announced that the title of the project will be Stephen King’s The Reaper’s Image, which was taken from one of the featured vignettes.
See the story summaries below:
The Reaper’s Image:
This story was first published in Startling Mystery Stories in 1969 and collected in Skeleton Crew in 1985. The story is about an antique mirror haunted by the visage of the Grim Reaper, who appears to those who gaze into it. This was King’s second professional sale and commercially published story.
Mile 81:
A novella by Stephen King, released exclusively as an e-book on September 1, 2011. With the heart of Stand By Me and the genius horror of Christine, Mile 81 is the chilling story of an insatiable car and a heroic kid whose worlds collide at an abandoned rest stop on the Maine Turnpike.
N.:
The story of a psychiatrist who falls victim to the same deadly obsession as his patient — an obsession that just might save the world! N. was published in King’s collection Just After Sunset in 2008. In March 2010 Marvel Comics published the first issue of a comic book adaptation of N., a four-issue limited series.
The Monkey:
A short story first published in Gallery magazine in 1980 in the form of a small removable booklet. It was significantly revised and published in King’s collection Skeleton Crew in 1985. The story centers on a cymbal-banging monkey toy that is possessed by an evil spirit. Every time the monkey claps its little cymbals together, a nearby living thing dies. The monkey is found in a family’s attic in an old toy chest by two young brothers, unknowing that their father had been tormented by the monkey years ago, when it worked its lethal enchantment on his family and friends.
Have you read any of these stories? Do you think they were good choices for the anthology?