It’s a random Tuesday in May, so you know what that means: news of yet another Stephen King adaptation! It’s an amazing time for those who yearn to see his works make it to visual media, as there are well over a dozen King-related projects currently in various stages of production. Arguably one of his least filmable tales, the 1992 suspense thriller Gerald’s Game will be the next project from Oculus director Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy’s Intrepid Pictures banner.
Gerald’s Game doesn’t have gigantic monsters or insane action sequences hindering its transition to cinema, but rather a lead character who spends most of the narrative half-naked. That R-rated element will probably put some clothes on for the actual movie, but we will presumably see the same story of a married couple’s romantic retreat gone terribly wrong.
Jessie and her husband Gerald take a trip to a very secluded cabin, where the "game" in the title is a bit of sex play that Jessie isn’t really into, leading to an accident that leaves her handcuffed to the bed without a clear method of escape. Without much to do but think, Jessie regresses into her dark past and comes to grips with the abusive skeletons in her closet, all while in fear of what else might be lurking in the cabin. Expect some major product placement from popular handcuff brands in this one. Those exist, right?
Flanagan, who is currently in post-production on the supernatural thriller Somnia, proved his skill at horror pacing with the increasing madness of both Oculus and 2011’s Absentia, and that’s exactly what Gerald’s Game needs to work well on the big screen. I’m a guy who’s all for watching a barely-dressed woman squirm helplessly, but that’s not what I look for in good cinema. (At least not outside of curtained rooms in the backs of pawn shops.) Luckily, there’s more than enough psychological mystery in this story for Flanagan to latch onto.
Mike Flanagan’s fans might be confused by his involvement with Gerald’s Game, since it was reported some months back that he would next start working on Diver, a mystery involving people who can tap into the minds of recently deceased people. However, he’ll be postponing that feature and is striving to quickly get Gerald's Game cast and set for a fall production start. The project is currently being shopped around Cannes, according to Deadline. Could Oculus star Karen Gillan play the lead in Gerald's Game? She'd be an excellent fit.
Gerald’s Game now joins The Stand, Cell, It, Lisey’s Story, Mercy and more on the list of potential adaptations. Which one are you guys most excited about?
