J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin are facing some upcoming competition in the world of fantasy television adaptations with big names: Steven King’s best-selling book for 2022 Fantasy Tale, which was originally planned as a long narrative movie, is now coming to the small screen thanks to A24. Director Paul Greengrass (World News, Jason Bourne), who was involved in the initial film project, is still on board with Jay Wyman (Margin, Almost Human) joining as showrunner for the 10-episode series.
The deadline broke the news in this report, stating that Greengrass’ original script « will be expanded » by Greengrass and Wyman, and that Greengrass will likely remain in a directing position as well. The reason Fantasy Tale has not succeeded as a film is that King’s novel, which is over 600 pages long, was too lengthy to condense into a single movie. When Universal Pictures left, producer Peter Rice (Saturday Night) came in and A24 decided to make a TV series instead.
King, whose works are often adapted, is known for his extremely long books, of course, but he almost always works in the horror genre. Fantasy Tale is unusual in that it leans heavily towards fantasy, although there are still horror elements. The book cover was not praised by Guillermo del Toro, who described it as « a journey to a magical and terrifying land where wonders and horrors meet. »
Here is the official description of the story: « Charlie Reed seems like an ordinary high school kid, good at baseball and football, and a respectable student. But he carries a heavy burden. His mother was killed in a tragic accident when he was seven, and pushed his father to drink. Charlie learns how to take care of himself and his father. When Charlie turns seventeen, he meets a dog named Radar and her elderly owner Howard Boditch, who is secluded in a large house on top of a big hill, with a closed shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds come out of it. »
Charlie starts doing chores for Mr. Boditch and loses his heart to Radar. And then, when Boditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story that no one will believe. What Boditch knew, and kept secret throughout his long life, is that inside the shed is a gateway to another world.
There is currently no information on the broadcasting party or network that will host the series, and it is still too early to know anything about casting choices or the premiere date. What do you think of a Fantasy Tale series – and King’s work being adapted once again?
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