The past week has offered some wonderful goodies for Stephen King fans. Shortly after the launch of last Thursday’s edition of The King Beat, the first ever teaser trailer for Mike Flanagan’s The Life Of Chuck arrived online, and it was two days ago that we learned Darren Aronofsky is in talks to helm the remake of Cujo that is in development at Netflix with producer Roy Lee. That’s some seriously great material to chew on, but with deeper examination of the Flanagan film guaranteed in the near future given its pending arrival in theaters this summer, I’ve opted to dedicate this column to thoughts on the latter – specifically in the realm of casting.
With the Cujo remake still very much in early stages (as of this feature’s publication, there isn’t a screenwriter attached yet), it will probably be a while before we hear any official news about actors signing on to star… but that just makes this time in the project’s development all the more suitable for wild speculation. But that’s not all, as this week also marks an anniversary for one of Stephen King’s best short story collections. There’s a lot to discuss, so let’s dig in!
What Would A Darren Aronofsky-Directed Cujo Remake Look Like With Experienced Stephen King Stars?
Like a lot of fans, I enjoy partaking in a bit of fan casting for projects that I’m hotly anticipating, but I like to give myself an extra challenge when I do so for Stephen King adaptations. Instead of just picking any random actors who would potentially be proper fits for particular roles, I like to limit myself to only stars who have previously appeared in other King projects. Given the exceptionally long history of King on screen, which stretches back nearly a half-century, it’s not the most restrictive rule I could apply, but it still makes the effort a bit more fun.
I’ve previously imagined casts for 2022’s Firestarter remake and the Holly series that is in development, but I figured this week’s King Beat would be a fun opportunity to imagine an ensemble for a Darren Aronofsky-directed Cujo, and you’ll find the results of this thought experiment below.
Note: I hate to do this, but I’m punting on fan casting Tad Trenton. He’s obviously a vital character in the story, but given that he is under 10 years old, the pool of age-appropriate actors from the history of Stephen King adaptations simply doesn’t exist. The part will almost certainly go to a first-time actor, as was the case with Danny Pintauro in the 1983 film.
Rebecca Ferguson As Donna Trenton
Donna Trenton is a role with (if you’ll pardon the overused expression) big shoes to fill. Dee Wallace is extraordinary playing Donna in the Lewis Teague-directed adaptation of Cujo, and I’m in full agreement with Stephen King that she should have at the very least earned an Academy Award nomination. What makes it a great challenge also means it’s a great opportunity, however, and it’s one that I would trust Rebecca Ferguson to take on. She is utterly phenomenal as the villainous Rose The Hat in Doctor Sleep, and could deliverer a powerhouse turn as a mother who finds herself simultaneously dealing with the guilt of an affair and in a life-or-death circumstance that sees herself trapped in a broken down car during a heat wave by a rabid St. Bernard.
Jason Clarke As Vic Trenton
In 2019, Vulture declared Jason Clarke to be “Hollywood’s Go-to Cuckold,” and I feel compelled to suggest an expansion of that strange cinematic legacy here. Prior to playing the lead role in the remake of Pet Sematary, Clarke was in four films that saw his character get cheated on (The Great Gatsby, All I See Is You, The Aftermath and Mudbound), and it’s since then also been a part of his role in 2020’s The Devil All The Time. Playing Vic Trenton in Cujo would allow him to add a potentially fantastic sixth title to that very specific filmography, and it’s actually a great part, as Vic goes on an emotionally heavy journey while out of town on a business after learning of Donna’s affair (not knowing that she is concurrently fighting for her life).
Glen Powell As Steve Kemp
I’m admittedly jumping the gun here, as Glen Powell won’t technically be a Stephen King adaptation veteran until the release of Edgar Wright’s The Running Man in November. That being said, he is too perfect for the part of Steve Kemp that I felt compelled to include him. An actor playing the part needs to be attractive and charismatic enough to lure Donna Trenton into an affair, but he must also be able to turn on the asshole energy for when the character goes full agro after Donna shuts down their relationship. Powell’s body of work demonstrates that he can do both.
Yul Vazquez As Roger Breakstone
To be honest, Roger Breakstone is not exactly the biggest or best part in Cujo, he being Vic Trenton’s business partner and confidant, but it’s the kind of role that can be elevated by a veteran character actor, and Yul Vazquez is a perfect fit for that particular bill. The energy of the part – a mix of professional and fraternal – is not too dissimilar to what the performer brought to his turn as Lieutenant Yunis Sablo (the partner of Ben Mendelsohn’s Ralph Anderson) in 2020’s The Outsider, giving me full confidence that he could make the most of the material.
Mark Hamill As Joe Camber
Audiences first got to see Mark Hamill in a Stephen King movie when he had an uncredited part in Sleepwalkers (the first film based on an original King screenplay), but he recently jumped back into the world with parts in the upcoming films The Life Of Chuck and The Long Walk, and Joe Camber in Cujo could be another great part for the actor. The drunk and abusive owner of the eponymous dog is a role far removed from the personality of Luke Skywalker, but Hamill recently did an amazing job portraying sinister vibes in the Netflix series The Fall Of The House Of Usher, and there are big expectations for his antagonist turn in The Long Walk.
Patrick Wilson As Sheriff George Bannerman
Sheriff George Bannerman is a character with a notable history in the works of Stephen King, as he is one of the early heroes of the author’s Castle Rock stories. Such a part requires an actor with both charisma and gravitas, and Patrick Wilson is a performer well-equipped with both. To date, Wilson’s only performance in a King project has been his dark and sinister turn as Ross Humboldt in the underrated Netflix movie In The Tall Grass, but he has the screen presence to let George stand out as the hero of his own story in Cujo – as the cop investigating the disappearance of Donna Trenton – and that will make it all the more impactful when his narrative becomes a tragedy.
For now, all of this Cujo casting is made of hopes and stardust, but we can keep fingers crossed that the project will move through the stages of development quickly, and that we’ll start learning about actors signing on very soon. Obviously, you should stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest updates!
Wishing A Happy 23rd Anniversary To Everything’s Eventual: One Of Stephen King’s Best Short Story Collections
I would make the argument that choosing a favorite Stephen King short story collection is a lot more difficult than choosing a favorite Stephen King novel. Simply put, it’s much easier to compare single stories against each other versus the overall highs and lows of a dozen-plus stories. Because of this, I’m typically reticent to officially declare any of King’s many omnibuses to be the best-of-the-best, but if I were to give any one title that superlative, Everything’s Eventual would be a heavy consideration.
It was 23 years ago this week (specifically on March 19, 2002) that the book first arrived on store shelves, and in recognition of its anniversary, allow me to officially recommend it to anyone who hasn’t already read it. Genre-wise, it offers a lot to readers – including the Roland Deschain adventure "The Little Sisters of Eluria" (a supernatural western), the gangster tale "The Death of Jack Hamilton," the heavy drama of "All That You Love Will Be Carried Away," and the fantasy "Luckey Quarter" – but in classic King tradition, it’s the tales of terror that end up leaving the biggest impression.
Some of the standouts include the paralyzing experience of "Autopsy Room Four;" the déjà vu-centic nightmare of "That Feeling, You Can Only Say What It Is in French," and the haunted hotel room adventure "1408," but if I had to pick a #1, it would have to be "The Man in the Black Suit" – a gripping coming-of-age horror story about a young boy encountering the devil. It’s the second story in Everything’s Eventual, but it leaves you with a cold feeling that is just impossible to shake as you read the rest of the book.
That wraps up this week’s edition of The King Beat, but if you’re an individual who is constantly hungry for the latest updates about the world of Stephen King, be sure to join me here on CinemaBlend next Thursday and every Thursday for a new feature examining any and all new developments concerning the beloved author.
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