Keith Thomas replaces Fatih Akin as director of Stephen King’s Firestarter

Looks like it's time for our annual update on the status of a new adaptation of Stephen King's FIRESTARTER! Back in 2017 we heard that Akiva Goldsman would be directing the new FIRESTARTER for Universal and Blumhouse Productions. Last year, Goldsman handed the directorial reins over to Fatih Akin, while remaining attached to the project as a producer. Now Collider's Jeff Sneider has learned that Akin is no longer involved with the adaptation.

Keith Thomas is the latest filmmaker to sign on to take the helm of FIRESTARTER. If the name isn't familiar to you, it's because Thomas just recently made his feature directorial debut with THE VIGIL, a supernatural horror film set in Brooklyn's Hasidic community. Blumhouse has acquired the domestic distribution rights to THE VIGIL.

While directors have come and gone, Scott Teems (who also co-wrote next year's HALLOWEEN KILLS for Blumhouse) has remained on board to write the FIRESTARTER screenplay. King's novel told the following story: 

Andrew and Vicky McGee met while earning money as guinea pigs for an experiment at college. The experiment was shrouded in suspicion and mystery, and seemed to be related to psychic abilities. The two were married and had a daughter Charlie, who has the ability to start fires by merely thinking about it. Naturally, the government takes a great interest in Charlie, and operatives from the secret department known as "The Shop" want to quarrantine and study her.

The new FIRESTARTER will be produced by Goldsman and Jason Blum, with Martha De Laurentiis serving as executive producer.

King's novel was first published in 1980, and copies can be purchased at THIS LINK. The novel was previously turned into a film directed by Mark L. Lester and starring David Keith, Drew Barrymore, Martin Sheen, George C. Scott, Louise Fletcher, Heather Locklear, and Art Carney in 1984. Copies of Lester's FIRESTARTER can be purchased HERE.

Now we'll have to wait and see if FIRESTARTER will finally make it into production with Thomas at the helm.