Mike Flanagan wrote a relentlessly dark adaptation of Stephen King’s Revival

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

When an adaptation of the Stephen King novel REVIVAL (pick up a copy HERE) was announced in 2016, THE NEW MUTANTS' Josh Boone was set to direct the film and had written the screenplay under the supervision of King and producer Michael De Luca. But even though Russell Crowe was attached to star in the film, Boone's version of the story never made it into production. While Boone has moved on to overseeing a new mini-series adaptation of King's novel The Stand, earlier this year Warner Bros. hired another filmmaker to take on REVIVAL: Mike Flanagan.

Flanagan, who previously helmed the King adaptations GERALD'S GAME and DOCTOR SLEEP, is writing the REVIVAL screenplay and has an option to direct the film. He'll also be producing it with Trevor Macy, through their company Intrepid Pictures.

REVIVAL centers on 

the relationship between a heroin-addicted musician and a dubious faith healer with a hidden agenda. The minister is obsessed with trying to find a way to communicate with his departed wife and child but ends up connecting to a Lovecraftian horror.

Flanagan was recently a guest on the podcast The Kingcast, and of course REVIVAL came up during his conversation with hosts Eric Vespe and Scott Wampler. He told them that he loves the story because 

it's a return to cosmic horror, which I think is so fun. It is relentlessly dark and cynical and I’m enjoying the hell out of that. This is just bleak and mean and I like it for that. I haven’t gotten to end a movie that way since ABSENTIA, maybe? Maybe OUIJA (ORIGIN OF EVIL)? This one was a really fun piece of material for me because I get to be like, 'Oh, you want a dark ending? Okay. Cool. Get ready.'"

King has read the screenplay and loves it, but Flanagan is waiting to find out if Warner Bros. will want to move ahead with the project. Since it's so dark,

I will be very curious to see if they let me make it."

I haven't gotten around to reading the novel yet, but I trust that Flanagan will be able to turn it into a good movie if he gets the chance to.