Mike Flanagan is writing The Mist “right now”.
The 48-year-old filmmaker has given a promising update on his next Stephen King adaptation, which follows his work on the likes of Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, The Life of Chuck and new Prime Video series Carrie.
Speaking to Collider at the Toronto International Film Festival, the director said: “I’m writing it right now. I was working on it on the airplane here.”
Flanagan suggested his screenplay is due close to Halloween, while that doesn’t mean filming is imminent with no cast announced as of yet for his take on King’s 1980 novella.
However, the Haunting of Hill House director did offer some insight into how his adaptation — which was confirmed by Warner Bros earlier this year — will differ from 2007’s “wonderful” and “vicious” film by Frank Darabont.
He added: “There’s no point in doing it again, so I get to do something new, which is always exciting.”
In The Mist, a small town in Maine is consumed by a thick mysterious fog from which creatures emerge and start attacking the townsfolk — leading a group of survivors to take shelter in a local grocery store.
Typically for King’s fiction, the anarchy brings out the best in some but the worst in others, sparking a mob mentality and empowering unhinged extremists who become as dangerous as the horrors outside.
In addition to directing and writing the flick, Flanagan will produce for his Red Room Pictures company alongside Tyler Thompson and Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Chris Stone.
Alexandra Magistro also serves as an executive producer for Red Room.
The Mist originated in King’s short story collection Skeleton Crew, and as well as the 2007 film starring Thomas Jane, it was also turned into a 2017 TV series.
Flanagan previously explained how he wouldn’t have made Doctor Sleep without author King’s blessing.
The director explained his vision for the 2019 sequel to King as he knew the writer had a number of criticisms about Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1980 movie that starred Jack Nicholson as the tormented Jack Torrance.
Flanagan told Entertainment Tonight: “After he heard me out and heard how I would approach it and why I wanted to do it that way, he gave his blessing to do that before I went to write the script.
“And, if he hadn’t given his blessing, I wouldn’t have made the film.”
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