Horror legend Tom Holland (FRIGHT NIGHT, CHILD’S PLAY) has signed on to adapt and direct the feature film THE TEN O’CLOCK PEOPLE, based upon the short story of the same name by Stephen King. Holland and King previously collaborated on THE LANGOLIERS and THINNER.
King’s story, which can be found in the anthology “Nightmares and Dreamscapes,” follows Brandon Pearson, who in trying to kick his smoking habit uncovers a frightening aspect of reality, he plans to extinguish through extreme measures.
I read the story back when the collection first came out, which was in 1993, so it has obviously been a while. I do remember there being a major action set-piece featuring ghoulish monsters toward the end, so this flick has some potential in the nastiness department. I also definitely recall shades of John Carpenter’s THEY LIVE.
Inspired by his own struggle with kicking the habit, “ [this story] was Stephen trying to deal with his cigarette jones and the fairly new no-smoking laws back in the 90’s. This film will be a modernization of the original short story, a paranoid suspense piece,” commented Holland.
“With Ron Howard’s ‘The Dark Tower’ adaptation and remakes of‘Carrie’ and ‘The Stand’ on the horizon, 2013 is shaping up to be the year of King.” Said Producers Nathaniel Kramer and E.J. Meyers, “We’re excited to be contributing to it.”
Shooting begins this summer.