Steven Spielberg Hopes To Adapt Stephen King’s THE TALISMAN Within the Next 2 Years!
Stephen King fans have been waiting for a feature film adaptation of his novel The Talisman for years! For some reason, it’s just never happened.
Steven Spielberg loved the story so much that snatched up the rights to the book before it was even released 35 years ago. It's crazy that he hasn’t been able to get it into production after all these years, but it looks like that all could change soon. It sounds like Spielberg is getting ready to really push it forward and develop it in the near future.
During a recent interview with EW, The Talisman was brought up in the conversation and when it was, King explained that Spielberg had come very close to making it several times and that there has been a lot of discussion about it over the years. Then Spielberg chimed in and said this:
"I feel that in the very near future, that’s going to be our richest collaboration. Universal bought the book for me, so it wasn’t optioned. It was an outright sale of the book…I’ve owned the book since ’82, and I’m hoping to get this movie made in the next couple of years. I’m not committing to the project as a director, I’m just saying that it’s something that I’ve wanted to see come to theaters for the last 35 years."
It’s great to hear that Spielberg is looking to actually make in the next couple of years! I know that he’s not committing to direct it, but I do hope he does decide to take in on when it's ready to happen, especially if it’s a passion project for him. If he does hire someone else to direct the movie, it better be someone talented!
There was one point where Spielberg tried to adapt it into a TV series for TNT, but that obviously didn’t work out. Spielberg explains:
“At that time it was just too rich for TNT’s blood. Then I pulled it back and decided to try to reconfigure it once again as a feature film.
That was a smart move. This is a story that I want to see on the big screen. Right now Stephen King properties are hot and it would definitely be a good time to move on it. If for some reason you aren’t familiar with the story here’s the synopsis:
Jack Sawyer, twelve years old, is about to begin a most fantastic journey, an exalting, terrifying quest for the mystical Talisman—the only thing that can save Jack’s dying mother. But to reach his goal, Jack must make his way not only across the breadth of the United States but also through the wondrous and menacing parallel world of the Territories.
In the Territories, Jack finds another realm, where the air is so sweet and clear a man can smell a radish being pulled from the ground a mile away—and a life can be snuffed out instantly in the continuing struggle between good and evil. Here Jack discovers “Twinners,” reflections of the people he knows on earth—most notably Queen Laura, the Twinner of Jack’s own imperiled mother. As Jack “flips” between worlds, making his way westward toward the redemptive Talisman, a sequence of heart-stopping encounters challenges him at every step.
Are you happy to hear that Spielberg is looking to move forward with the adaptation of The Talisman? If he doesn’t direct it, who would you like to see take on the challenge?