Beware! Spoilers for the work of Stephen King abound.
Stephen King has always been a self-referential writer. In addition to his poignant memoir On Writing and a multitude of forwards and afterwards in his Uncle Steve voice, the Master of Horror tends to inject his fiction with characters that bear a striking resemblance to his own persona. Equating writing with therapy, he often seems to be working through issues that underlie his novels and one can often pick out themes and seasons of life peeking through the windows of his work.
Before hitting the bestseller list, King was a young husband and father struggling to make ends meet and the weight of supporting a family frequently appears in his early writing. The newest King adaptation to hit the big screen, Rob Savage’s The Boogeyman, reimagines a story from the author’s first collection Night Shift in which a surly...
Stephen King has always been a self-referential writer. In addition to his poignant memoir On Writing and a multitude of forwards and afterwards in his Uncle Steve voice, the Master of Horror tends to inject his fiction with characters that bear a striking resemblance to his own persona. Equating writing with therapy, he often seems to be working through issues that underlie his novels and one can often pick out themes and seasons of life peeking through the windows of his work.
Before hitting the bestseller list, King was a young husband and father struggling to make ends meet and the weight of supporting a family frequently appears in his early writing. The newest King adaptation to hit the big screen, Rob Savage’s The Boogeyman, reimagines a story from the author’s first collection Night Shift in which a surly...
- 6/16/2023
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
It’s not often that people think about pitting characters from Stephen King novels against each other, especially since some of the more powerful among them feel as though they would either disappoint entirely or would be way too powerful to consider setting on a normal being. For instance, pitting Pennywise against anyone would be kind of difficult since the creature behind the clown is supposed to be insanely powerful, and yet it was defeated by a group of people with nothing more than a special bond, no powers, and no special abilities, only a deep and abiding friendship. Some would
Carrie vs. Charlie McGee: Who Wins?...
Carrie vs. Charlie McGee: Who Wins?...
- 6/22/2022
- by Tom Foster
- TVovermind.com
After thirty-eight years, Firestarter is once again lighting up theaters. Adapted from Stephen King’s 1980 novel of the same name, Firestarter is the story of Charlie McGee (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), a nine year old girl with the power to light fires with her mind. Though opinions vary on the novel’s success, Firestarter has always had […]
The post A Tale of Two Fires: Comparing Stephen King’s Novel and the New ‘Firestarter’ Movie appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
The post A Tale of Two Fires: Comparing Stephen King’s Novel and the New ‘Firestarter’ Movie appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 5/17/2022
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
“Firestarter”, the new science fiction horror feature, directed by Keith Thomas, starring Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes and Gloria Reuben, has fizzled out at the box office earning only 3.8 million domestic and 5.8 million worldwide over the weekend:
The original "Firestarter" feature starred Drew Barrymore as 'Charlie McGee', who develops 'pyrokinesis':
"...score 'Andrew' and 'Charlie McGee', are a father-daughter pair on the run from a government agency known as 'The Shop'. During his college years, Andy had participated in a Shop experiment dealing with 'Lot 6', a drug with hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD. The drug gave his future wife, 'Victoria Tomlinson', minor telepathic abilities, and him an autohypnotic mind domination ability known as 'the Push'.
"Both his and Vicky's powers are physiologically limited. In his case, overuse of the Push gives him crippling migraine headaches and minute brain hemorrhages,...
The original "Firestarter" feature starred Drew Barrymore as 'Charlie McGee', who develops 'pyrokinesis':
"...score 'Andrew' and 'Charlie McGee', are a father-daughter pair on the run from a government agency known as 'The Shop'. During his college years, Andy had participated in a Shop experiment dealing with 'Lot 6', a drug with hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD. The drug gave his future wife, 'Victoria Tomlinson', minor telepathic abilities, and him an autohypnotic mind domination ability known as 'the Push'.
"Both his and Vicky's powers are physiologically limited. In his case, overuse of the Push gives him crippling migraine headaches and minute brain hemorrhages,...
- 5/16/2022
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Released in the fall of 1980, while Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation of The Shining continued to horrify audiences in theaters, Stephen King’s eighth novel, Firestarter, tells the story of Charlie McGee, a young girl struggling to control her pyrokinetic powers. Her parents knew this would be an issue: years earlier, Andy and Vicky McGee participated in a trial run of a new chemical compound, Lot Six, that embedded telekinetic and mind-controlling powers that shady government officials now wish to end. A run in with Rainbird, who had also been experimented on and now acts as a hired assassin wiping out […]
The post On Set with Flamethrowers: Keith Thomas on Firestarter first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post On Set with Flamethrowers: Keith Thomas on Firestarter first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/16/2022
- by Erik Luers
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Released in the fall of 1980, while Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation of The Shining continued to horrify audiences in theaters, Stephen King’s eighth novel, Firestarter, tells the story of Charlie McGee, a young girl struggling to control her pyrokinetic powers. Her parents knew this would be an issue: years earlier, Andy and Vicky McGee participated in a trial run of a new chemical compound, Lot Six, that embedded telekinetic and mind-controlling powers that shady government officials now wish to end. A run in with Rainbird, who had also been experimented on and now acts as a hired assassin wiping out […]
The post On Set with Flamethrowers: Keith Thomas on Firestarter first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post On Set with Flamethrowers: Keith Thomas on Firestarter first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/16/2022
- by Erik Luers
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Of all the Stephen King adaptations, Mark L. Lester’s “Firestarter” is hardly the most celebrated. The 1984 original, starring a young Drew Barrymore as a pyrokinetic child, has some impressive visual effects, but it’s narratively thin, thematically clunky, and marred by the offensive casting of George C. Scott as Rainbird, a Cherokee assassin.
Needless to say, remaking “Firestarter” is not, in itself, such a bad idea. There was certainly room for improvement.
One can only applaud the new filmmakers for casting indigenous actor Michael Greyeyes in the Rainbird role, but somehow the improvements stop there. The new “Firestarter” is a lot like the old “Firestarter,” if the old “Firestarter” was duller, cheaper, and devoid of almost all meaning.
Ryan Kiera Armstrong (“Black Widow”) stars as Charlie McGee, a young girl with a big secret: She can make fire with her mind. Her parents Andy (Zac Efron) and Vicky also...
Needless to say, remaking “Firestarter” is not, in itself, such a bad idea. There was certainly room for improvement.
One can only applaud the new filmmakers for casting indigenous actor Michael Greyeyes in the Rainbird role, but somehow the improvements stop there. The new “Firestarter” is a lot like the old “Firestarter,” if the old “Firestarter” was duller, cheaper, and devoid of almost all meaning.
Ryan Kiera Armstrong (“Black Widow”) stars as Charlie McGee, a young girl with a big secret: She can make fire with her mind. Her parents Andy (Zac Efron) and Vicky also...
- 5/13/2022
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
Nearly 40 years after the release of Mark L. Lester’s Firestarter adaptation, we have a new take on Stephen King’s classic story, this time with Keith Thomas (The Vigil) at the helm. And while this new iteration effectively modernizes some of the concepts and themes at the heart of King’s story and features several killer set pieces that showcase Thomas’ capabilities as a director to boot, where Firestarter (2022) falls short is in its screenplay by Scott Teems that never quite nails the heart of the characters that originally made King’s story so compelling in the first place. Ryan Kiera Armstrong definitely makes for a compelling Charlie McGee this time around—I just wish we were given more reason to root for her character than what we see in this version of Firestarter, resulting in an adaptation that is solid overall, but does feel like it falls short in some ways as well.
- 5/13/2022
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
From "Carrie" to "The Stand" and beyond, the works of American author Stephen King have been adapted by multiple generations. The latest King project to get an adaptation is "Firestarter," based on his 1980 sci-fi thriller novel of the same name. The story concerns Charlie McGee, a young girl who is inadvertently gifted with powers of pyrokinesis as a result of government-controlled experiments on her parents. Following the murder of her mother, Charlie and her father Andy flee from the agency responsible, known as The Shop. The plot should sound vaguely familiar to fans of "Stranger Things," which took inspiration from King's novel...
The post Ryan Kiera Armstrong Did Some Drew Barrymore Research Before Filming Firestarter appeared first on /Film.
The post Ryan Kiera Armstrong Did Some Drew Barrymore Research Before Filming Firestarter appeared first on /Film.
- 5/12/2022
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
Of all of Stephen King’s literary children, none burns as brightly as Charlie McGee. She is the main character in his 1980 novel Firestarter and arguably his most powerful protagonist. The child of participants in a college experiment run by a government agency known as The Shop, Charlie was born with the unique ability to […]
The post ‘Firestarter 2: Rekindled’ – Unearthing the Ashes of a Forgotten Stephen King Sequel appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
The post ‘Firestarter 2: Rekindled’ – Unearthing the Ashes of a Forgotten Stephen King Sequel appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 5/12/2022
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
This upcoming weekend, Marvel Studios’ latest superhero epic, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” will continue to run rampant at the box office, and it’s likely to be the #1 movie for quite some time, or at least until “Top Gun: Maverick” opens over Memorial Day weekend.
On Friday, Universal Pictures is releasing Blumhouse Pictures’ take on Stephen King’s best-selling thriller “Firestarter,” but it’s not just opening in roughly 3,300 theaters – it will also get a day-and-date release on its Peacock streaming service. The new movie stars Ryan Kiera Armstrong from “American Horror Story” as young Charlie McGee, the titular girl with pyrokinetic powers, while Zac Efron plays her father. It’s directed by Keith Thomas, who helmed the previous Blumhouse movie, “The Vigil.”
The decision for Universal to do day-and-date streaming is an odd one, just because there isn’t much direct competition other than “Doctor Strange.
On Friday, Universal Pictures is releasing Blumhouse Pictures’ take on Stephen King’s best-selling thriller “Firestarter,” but it’s not just opening in roughly 3,300 theaters – it will also get a day-and-date release on its Peacock streaming service. The new movie stars Ryan Kiera Armstrong from “American Horror Story” as young Charlie McGee, the titular girl with pyrokinetic powers, while Zac Efron plays her father. It’s directed by Keith Thomas, who helmed the previous Blumhouse movie, “The Vigil.”
The decision for Universal to do day-and-date streaming is an odd one, just because there isn’t much direct competition other than “Doctor Strange.
- 5/11/2022
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
“Firestarter” is the new Blumhouse Productions science fiction horror feature, directed by Keith Thomas, based on the novel of the same name, rebooting the 1984 film adaptation, starring Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes and Gloria Reuben, with a new score by John Carpenter, opening May 13, 2022 in theaters with same date streaming on Peacock:
The original "Firestarter" feature starred Drew Barrymore as 'Charlie McGee', who develops 'pyrokinesis':
"...score 'Andrew' and 'Charlie McGee', are a father-daughter pair on the run from a government agency known as 'The Shop'. During his college years, Andy had participated in a Shop experiment dealing with 'Lot 6', a drug with hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD. The drug gave his future wife, 'Victoria Tomlinson', minor telepathic abilities, and him an autohypnotic mind domination ability known as 'the Push'.
"Both his and Vicky's powers are physiologically limited.
The original "Firestarter" feature starred Drew Barrymore as 'Charlie McGee', who develops 'pyrokinesis':
"...score 'Andrew' and 'Charlie McGee', are a father-daughter pair on the run from a government agency known as 'The Shop'. During his college years, Andy had participated in a Shop experiment dealing with 'Lot 6', a drug with hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD. The drug gave his future wife, 'Victoria Tomlinson', minor telepathic abilities, and him an autohypnotic mind domination ability known as 'the Push'.
"Both his and Vicky's powers are physiologically limited.
- 5/10/2022
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
This weekend, Keith Thomas’ new adaptation of Stephen King’s Firestarter is poised to hit theaters and arrive on Peacock exclusively courtesy of Universal Pictures. Starring Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Zac Efron, Michael Greyeyes, Gloria Reuben, Sydney Lemmon, and Kurtwood Smith, Firestarter follows a young girl by the name of Charlie McGee (Armstrong) who discovers that she has pyrokinetic powers, but begins to struggle with her ability to control them. Her parents, Andy (Efron) and Vicky (Lemmons), also have powers of their own that they gained after undergoing some nefarious medical experiments while they were in college, and they realize that if the wrong people were to discover Charlie’s abilities, it could be catastrophic in so many ways.
One day, Charlie has a fiery outburst at school, which captures the attention of a mysterious governmental organization, and sets off a tragic chain of events resulting in Charlie and her dad...
One day, Charlie has a fiery outburst at school, which captures the attention of a mysterious governmental organization, and sets off a tragic chain of events resulting in Charlie and her dad...
- 5/10/2022
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Stephen King does not mince words when it comes to movies adapted from his novels. Indeed, the prolific author is famously a vocal critic of Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," a film that is widely regarded as one of the greatest horror movies ever made. King undeniably has his reasons for dismissing it, however, and even the most staunch fan of Kubrick's film can understand where King is coming from.
Less understandable is King's on-the-record distaste for director Mark L. Lester and producer Dino De Laurentiis' 1984 adaptation of "Firestarter," starring Drew Barrymore as Charlie McGee. While the author's criticisms of "The Shining" revolved around the film making major changes to...
The post Here's Why Stephen King Hated 1984's Firestarter appeared first on /Film.
Less understandable is King's on-the-record distaste for director Mark L. Lester and producer Dino De Laurentiis' 1984 adaptation of "Firestarter," starring Drew Barrymore as Charlie McGee. While the author's criticisms of "The Shining" revolved around the film making major changes to...
The post Here's Why Stephen King Hated 1984's Firestarter appeared first on /Film.
- 4/27/2022
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
“Firestarter” is the new Blumhouse Productions science fiction horror feature, directed by Keith Thomas, based on the novel of the same name, rebooting the 1984 film adaptation, starring Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes and Gloria Reuben, opening May 13, 2022 in theaters with same date streaming on Peacock:
The original "Firestarter" feature starred Drew Barrymore as 'Charlie McGee', who develops 'pyrokinesis':
"...'Andrew' and 'Charlie McGee', are a father-daughter pair on the run from a government agency known as 'The Shop'. During his college years, Andy had participated in a Shop experiment dealing with 'Lot 6', a drug with hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD. The drug gave his future wife, 'Victoria Tomlinson', minor telepathic abilities, and him an autohypnotic mind domination ability known as 'the Push'.
"Both his and Vicky's powers are physiologically limited. In his case, overuse of the Push gives...
The original "Firestarter" feature starred Drew Barrymore as 'Charlie McGee', who develops 'pyrokinesis':
"...'Andrew' and 'Charlie McGee', are a father-daughter pair on the run from a government agency known as 'The Shop'. During his college years, Andy had participated in a Shop experiment dealing with 'Lot 6', a drug with hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD. The drug gave his future wife, 'Victoria Tomlinson', minor telepathic abilities, and him an autohypnotic mind domination ability known as 'the Push'.
"Both his and Vicky's powers are physiologically limited. In his case, overuse of the Push gives...
- 4/21/2022
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
“Firestarter” is the new Blumhouse Productions science fiction horror feature, directed by Keith Thomas, based on the novel of the same name, rebooting the 1984 film adaptation, starring Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley, Michael Greyeyes and Gloria Reuben, opening May 13, 2022 in theaters with same date streaming on Peacock:
The original "Firestarter" feature starred Drew Barrymore as 'Charlie McGee', who develops 'pyrokinesis':
"...'Andrew' and 'Charlie McGee', are a father-daughter pair on the run from a government agency known as 'The Shop'. During his college years, Andy had participated in a Shop experiment dealing with 'Lot 6', a drug with hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD. The drug gave his future wife, 'Victoria Tomlinson', minor telepathic abilities, and him an autohypnotic mind domination ability known as 'the Push'.
"Both his and Vicky's powers are physiologically limited. In his case, overuse of the...
The original "Firestarter" feature starred Drew Barrymore as 'Charlie McGee', who develops 'pyrokinesis':
"...'Andrew' and 'Charlie McGee', are a father-daughter pair on the run from a government agency known as 'The Shop'. During his college years, Andy had participated in a Shop experiment dealing with 'Lot 6', a drug with hallucinogenic effects similar to LSD. The drug gave his future wife, 'Victoria Tomlinson', minor telepathic abilities, and him an autohypnotic mind domination ability known as 'the Push'.
"Both his and Vicky's powers are physiologically limited. In his case, overuse of the...
- 4/9/2022
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
In the 21 years since Jason Blum founded Blumhouse Productions — during which a sizable portion of the company’s output has been dedicated to the horror genre — one name has been conspicuously absent from the list of the banner’s collaborators: Stephen King.
One reason for that may have been the company’s policy of making genre movies for a relatively low — and sometimes just blatantly low — price: securing the option to a literary property, especially one by a brand name author like King, could punch a hole in the Blumhouse financial model. Most of Blumhouse’s horror output has been original properties, with a handful of adaptations in the mix.
But it could also be simply that Blum and King couldn’t find the right material to join forces on — until recently. It was originally announced in 2017 that Blumhouse would produce a new version of Firestarter, King’s 1980 novel about...
One reason for that may have been the company’s policy of making genre movies for a relatively low — and sometimes just blatantly low — price: securing the option to a literary property, especially one by a brand name author like King, could punch a hole in the Blumhouse financial model. Most of Blumhouse’s horror output has been original properties, with a handful of adaptations in the mix.
But it could also be simply that Blum and King couldn’t find the right material to join forces on — until recently. It was originally announced in 2017 that Blumhouse would produce a new version of Firestarter, King’s 1980 novel about...
- 7/2/2021
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
To be quite honest I’d be more than happy to see a revival or sequel to Firestarter since Firestarter: Rekindled with Marguerite Moreau and Malcolm McDowell wasn’t the best movie, but it had a good idea. Charlie McGee had been on the run from the government all that time in the TV movie, but this time around it would appear that one of Stephen King’s best novels is going to be rebooted entirely. It’s not the first time this is happening obviously since It received the same treatment, though in all honesty, its first version was a TV miniseries. It
Why We’re Excited to See a Firestarter Reboot...
Why We’re Excited to See a Firestarter Reboot...
- 4/19/2021
- by Tom
- TVovermind.com
Firestarter, the Stephen King novel-turned-film, is already cemented in pop culture history with the iconic 1984 poster image of child star Drew Barrymore, who’s seen ominously emotionless in front of a blaze caused by her unbridled pyrokinetic powers; an image that was a clear inspiration for Stranger Things’ Eleven. However, the current crop of King-adapting films and television will see a Firestarter remake, which now has a headliner in Zac Efron.
Studios Universal, Blumhouse and Weed Road are moving forward with efforts for a Firestarter remake movie, and have announced its first cast member in Zac Efron, who will serve as one of its headlining stars, although his character was not disclosed. He will be in front of the camera for appointed director Keith Thomas (The Vigil), who works off a script by Scott Teems (Halloween Kills), joined by producers Jason Blum and Akiva Goldsman (who was the originally-tapped director). The project,...
Studios Universal, Blumhouse and Weed Road are moving forward with efforts for a Firestarter remake movie, and have announced its first cast member in Zac Efron, who will serve as one of its headlining stars, although his character was not disclosed. He will be in front of the camera for appointed director Keith Thomas (The Vigil), who works off a script by Scott Teems (Halloween Kills), joined by producers Jason Blum and Akiva Goldsman (who was the originally-tapped director). The project,...
- 9/30/2020
- by Joseph Baxter
- Den of Geek
Blumhouse’s new take on Stephen King‘s Firestarter has announced its first cast member: Zac Efron. There’s no indication of who Efron is playing, but it’s safe to assume he’s not going to play protagonist Charlie McGee, a little girl with the powers of pyrokinesis. Keith Thomas (The Vigil) will direct the film that is being adapted by writer Scott […]
The post ‘Firestarter’ Remake From Blumhouse Will Star Zac Efron appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Firestarter’ Remake From Blumhouse Will Star Zac Efron appeared first on /Film.
- 9/29/2020
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not yet watched the first three episodes of “Castle Rock,” which launched on Hulu July 25.
Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason’s “Castle Rock,” based on the universe of Stephen King, comes chock full of visual and character references to the prolific author’s library. But they wanted the series to be able to stand on its own, regardless of whether a viewer has a wealth of knowledge about King.
“We were really careful and thoughtful about roping in references and characters and landmarks and ideas in a way that would feel organic to the story we were telling this season,” Shaw tells Variety. “[We didn’t want to] give the audience the Sunday newspaper word jumble of randomized Stephen King deep cuts.”
Both long-time fans of King, Shaw and Thomason approached “Castle Rock” as a way to interconnect stories the novelist spent decades creating and add detail...
Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason’s “Castle Rock,” based on the universe of Stephen King, comes chock full of visual and character references to the prolific author’s library. But they wanted the series to be able to stand on its own, regardless of whether a viewer has a wealth of knowledge about King.
“We were really careful and thoughtful about roping in references and characters and landmarks and ideas in a way that would feel organic to the story we were telling this season,” Shaw tells Variety. “[We didn’t want to] give the audience the Sunday newspaper word jumble of randomized Stephen King deep cuts.”
Both long-time fans of King, Shaw and Thomason approached “Castle Rock” as a way to interconnect stories the novelist spent decades creating and add detail...
- 7/25/2018
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
She’s restrained to a chair, contained under constant watch behind two-way glass, and attached to an electric shocker… and yet the government agency observing her is still worried about security. That’s how dangerous the young girl is in Alex Haughey and Brian Vidal’s new psychological thriller Prodigy, an enthralling mind game of a movie with an emotional, telekinetic core.
When Prodigy begins, time is already running out. The government has brought in child psychologist Fonda (Richard Neil) to evaluate the aforementioned girl, nine-year-old Ellie (Savannah Liles). Ellie is different than other girls her age. She’s a child genius, but her mental strength goes beyond a high Iq and incredible intuition. She can move things with her mind, making everything in the room a potential weapon: the table, the chairs, the pen James uses to take notes—everything.
The government has deemed Ellie too dangerous to exist on her own,...
When Prodigy begins, time is already running out. The government has brought in child psychologist Fonda (Richard Neil) to evaluate the aforementioned girl, nine-year-old Ellie (Savannah Liles). Ellie is different than other girls her age. She’s a child genius, but her mental strength goes beyond a high Iq and incredible intuition. She can move things with her mind, making everything in the room a potential weapon: the table, the chairs, the pen James uses to take notes—everything.
The government has deemed Ellie too dangerous to exist on her own,...
- 4/13/2018
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
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