A Critically Panned 2-Yr-Previous Stephen King Adaptation Is Coming to Peacock

Stephen King is among the most prolific writers of our time and the second writer with many movie and tv diversifications of his novels, after William Shakespeare. With many titles below his belt, a few of his hottest work has been tailored not simply as soon as.

On Nov. 12, the 2022 Firestarter can be heading to Peacock. The film adapts the 1980 sci-fi horror thriller, and it is a remake of the 1984 movie starring a younger Drew Barrymore. It follows a woman, Charlie, who has the flexibility of pyrokinesis, and she or he is on the run from a corporation attempting to make use of her energy for its personal curiosity. The brand new adaptation had many well-known names, together with Zac Efron because the woman’s father, nevertheless it was not profitable.

Neither adaptation was capable of totally do the novel justice, however the first one had Barrymore’s breakout position and George C. Scott’s efficiency. The latter featured a dull screenplay and was plagued with tragic critiques.

2022’s Firestarter did not impress the critics or the viewers, and its scores aren’t encouraging. The horror adaptation holds a rating of solely 10% on Rotten Tomatoes from the critics, which is an abysmal rating, particularly when its 163 critiques. On the subject of the viewers, it was extra forgiving, with a spilled popcorn score of 47%.

Apart from Efron, the remake starred Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley (in his ultimate movie position), Michael Greyeyes, and Gloria Reuben. Jason Blum’s Blumhouse and Akiva Goldsman’s Weed Street Photos produced the movie, which was distributed by Common Photos. Firestarter premiered on Could 13, 2022, within the U.S., with a simultaneous launch on Peacock. With a finances of $12 million, the 2022 remake ended its run with solely a bit over $15 million, including $533k in DVD and Blu-Ray gross sales, a significant disappointment for Common Photos.

Firestarter Was Meant to Begin a Franchise

Since Stephen King disliked 1984’s Firestarter, the brand new adaptation had the chance of giving the writer a greater model of his novel. Based mostly on the critiques, and the shocking change to the ending, director Keith Thomas did not achieve what he was planning on doing. Nonetheless, he needed to proceed the sequence.

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Forward of the movie’s launch in theaters and on Peacock, Keith Thomas famous that he had extra concepts that he may discover in a possible sequel. Following Pet Sematary‘s historical past, which obtained a brand-new adaptation in 2019 after the 1989 authentic, and a follow-up prequel, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, Thomas thought he may do one thing just like Firestarter.

“I’m at all times down, I’m at all times down. I believe we’ve bought all kinds of concepts of the place it may go,” Thomas informed ComicBook.com on the time. “Clearly Stephen King didn’t write a sequel. So all that might must be explored, however I really feel like we created a world on this, and a few characters that I really feel like their tales may undoubtedly broaden, broaden and go on.” Following its poor reception and field workplace numbers, the movie did not obtain a sequel.

The 2022 remake of Firestarter can be obtainable to stream on Peacock on Nov. 12.

Supply: Peacock

Director

Keith Thomas

Launch Date

Could 13, 2022

Forged

Sydney Lemmon , Gloria Reuben , Kurtwood Smith , Ryan Kiera Armstrong , Zac Efron , Michael Greyeyes , John Beasley

Field Workplace

$5.9 million

Funds

$12 million