It seems that not a day goes by that we don't hear about a new Stephen King project in development, and we've got another to add to the ever-growing pile. Deadline reports that Netflix is moving forward on an adaptation of Stephen King and Joe Hill's "In the Tall Grass" and that James Marsden (Westworld) is in negotiations to star.
This project was actually put into motion back in 2015 with Vincenzo Natali (Hannibal) set to write and direct, but the project didn't seem to come together at the time. I'm sure the monstrous success of IT might have had something to do with its sudden resurgence. Natali is still onboard to direct from the script he wrote and production is slated to kick off in Toronto this summer. IN THE TALL GRASS finds a brother and sister pulling off to the side of the road when they hear a young boy crying for help in a vast field of grass in Kansas. Venturing into the field, the siblings soon discover that there may be no way out. It's a bit of a messed up story, but I have faith that Vincenzo Natali can pull it off and keep us on the edge of our seats.
When the project was first announced, the director said:
Who would think that grass could be frightening? Trust Stephen King and Joe Hill to find a way. They have transformed an otherwise innocuous Kansas field into a stage for some of the most disturbing horror fiction I have ever read.
When the siblings attempt to rescue the boy, Vincenzo Natali said that "they discover that strange forces are at work. Space is warped so that one minute they are together and the next they are miles apart. The field is an ineffable maze from which there is no escape. Before long they have lost their bearings and each other. But they are not alone…" Sounds like fun! In addition to IN THE TALL GRASS, we've also got adaptations of PET SEMETARY, THE TOMMYKNOCKERS, THE LONG WALK, DOCTOR SLEEP, THE TALISMAN, THE STAND, THE BONE CHURCH, and more in various stages of development, not to mention IT: CHAPTER TWO. Our Stephen King cup runneth over.