Stephen King's FIRESTARTER is getting the remake treatment from Universal Pictures and Blumhouse and now there is word on when the film is aiming to start shooting.
Screenwriter Scott Teems spoke with MovieWeb.com and he was asked about the project while promoting his new film THE QUARRY and he had this to say about the status of the project:
"We just got a new director named Keith Thomas and he made a great film called The Vigil coming up this year, and Universal and Blumhouse, they want to make Firestarter. It has always been an important project to them. I think we're making active steps toward that happening this year. You know, the industry shut down notwithstanding, and that may change things, but right now, I'm really hopeful that it might happen this year."
The FIRESTARTER remake was announced in April of 2017 so things have been pretty stagnant on the project for awhile. Teems explains further that Thomas was hired to director the film in December of 2019 so it's clear that Universal Pictures and Blumhouse were looking to pick up steam on the project before the COVID-19 pandemic forced Hollywood productions to go dark. Given that anything Stephen King has been a red hot priority for almost any studio since IT broke box office records for a horror film in 2017, it comes as no surprise that they want to get this property out there as fast as possible.
FIRESTARTER was first adapted for the screen back in 1984 with director Mark L. Lester at the helm. I had no idea about this but I was watching the horror documentary IN SEARCH OF DARKNESS & John Carpenter mentioned that he was given FIRESTARTER first and he was looking forward to making it but the opportunity was snatched from him when his remake of THE THING was deemed a box office failure. Lester was thing brought on to direct the feature which starred a young Drew Barrymore as Charlie, a girl who inherits pyrokinetic powers from her parents. Soon the government is trying to apprehend the young Charlie in order to harness her powerful and unique skills as a weapon.
FIRESTARTER was modestly successful, grossing $17.1 million on a $12 million budget, but it wasn't really well-received by critics. The film spawned a TV miniseries titled FIRESTARTER: REKINDLED that was released in 2002. As of now there is no set release date for the remake.
FIRESTARTER is one of those 80s horror films that I wouldn't mind seeing get the remake treatment because there is a lot that can be done with the premise. Hopefully writer Scott Teems and director Keith Thomas come together to give the adaptation the treatment it deserves.
Are YOU interested in a remake of FIRESTARTER?