Movie adaptation of Stephen King's 'Desperation' in works, 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' directors to helm
Washington DC, August 1
Stephen King's 'Desperation' is headed to the big screen, with Searchlight production house bringing together some big names to develop a take on the 1996 novel by the horror maestro, reported The Hollywood Reporter.
According to the outlet, filmmaking duo Zach Lipovsky and Adam B Stein are in talks to direct the film while Sam Raimi and King will be working together on a project, with Raimi producing along with his Ghost House Pictures partner Robert Tapert. Ryan Brennan is set to write the script of the film.
"Stranded in a remote desert town where something evil has awakened, a group of travellers must fight to survive when a sadistic, possessed cop turns routine arrests into a relentless fight for their lives," the logline reads as quoted by The Hollywood Reporter.
Director Lipovsky and Stein gained fame with 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' and the two have a full schedule of projects in the works, including the short story adaptation Long Lost, set up with Amblin and Universal, and writing duties on Chris Columbus' third Gremlins movie, as well as an animated Venom movie and Metal Gear Solid, both at Sony.
Stein and Lipovsky are also producing, with Romel Adam and Jose Canas executive producing.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, SVP of production Taylor Friedman and creative exec Cameron Chidsey are overseeing for Searchlight, reporting to heads of production and development DanTram Nguyen and Katie Goodson-Thomas. Mahdi Salehi at Hansen Jacobson handled the deal on behalf of Ghost House.
King properties have been particularly hot over the past decade, with last year alone bringing It: Welcome to Derry, The Long Walk, The Life of Chuck and The Running Man.
Raimi, the pioneering horror maestro behind Evil Dead as well as the original Spider-Man trilogy, is repped by CAA. He was last in theatres with Send Help.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Finally, some good horror news! The 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' directors stepping in gives me hope — they know how to build suspense. But honestly, I hope they don't water it down for the international audience. Indian audiences love a proper scary film, just look at how 'The Conjuring' series performed here. Desperation needs that same intensity!
As someone who grew up reading King's novels, this is exciting news. But let's be honest — Hollywood adaptations of his work have been hit or miss. 'It' was great, but some others flopped. Hopefully Raimi's involvement ensures quality. Also, that logline sounds intense — "sadistic, possessed cop" — chills already! 😱
Would love to see this in Indian theatres, especially in regional languages dubbed versions. Horror is universal, and King's storytelling transcends cultures. Just please don't release it only on OTT — we Indians love the big-screen experience for horror films. The theatre screams are half the fun! 🍿
Living here in India, I've noticed our audience has evolved a lot in taste. We appreciate good horror now — not just masala films. This sounds like a faithful adaptation is possible. My only concern: too many cooks spoiling the broth with so many producers involved. Hope King keeps his creative control!
Sam Raimi is a legend — 'Evil Dead' is still a masterpiece! But I'm slightly skeptical about the directors. 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' was just
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