When you have a team as effective as writer/director Mike Flanagan and producer Trevor Macy, it’s a joy to see them reuniting on projects throughout their careers. Today is another one of those joyous days, as the pair who helped bring movie adaptations of Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep to Stephen King fans all over are set to work their magic on another King novel: the 2014 thriller Revival.
This news came from a THR report that not only announced Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy as being at work on the project, but also confirmed that the Josh Boone variant of the project previously put into motion has officially stalled. No release date or production start date has been mentioned, with the only true knowledge on Revival being that Flanagan is on deck for writing duties, with an option to direct. Months ago, CinemaBlend's own Eric Eisenberg spoke with Flanagan about a mystery Stephen King project that was on the horizon, and it looks like Revival is the project that the writer and King had been personally discussing.
One of the more recent works from Stephen King’s pen, Revival is the story of a preacher who wants to contact some dearly departed family members, but conjures up something much more frightening from another realm. With readers noting a very Lovecraftian bent to King’s Revival, that otherworldly terror is sure to be something so frightening, it’ll take the power of visual effects to truly convey its terror.
Having Mike Flanagan return to the world of Stephen King with Revival is truly something to celebrate, as he’s the first writer/director since Frank Darabont that’s truly gotten the sense and style of King’s work onto the big screen. With both of his previous films from the storied author’s canon, Flanagan has shown an aptitude for including both the horrific moments and the truly tender, more character building aspects of this particular universe.
Nowhere was this more prevalent than the work that Mike Flanagan had done to marry the cinematic and literary universes of The Shining with his adaptation of Doctor Sleep. Weaving in-between Stanley Kubrick’s interpretation of the film’s predecessor, while adapting Stephen King’s story as faithfully as possible, the end result was something that bridged two worlds, and respected both halves of its lineage.
Of course, the big anticipation for Revival is just how dark and creepy Mike Flanagan’s version will look. While we’ve seen some of the concept art for Josh Boone’s version of the film, there’s obviously going to be a difference. And looking back to how Flanagan and his team not only made Doctor Sleep look so terrifying, but also his Netflix series adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House, we’re going to have a hard time telling if those tears are coming from an emotional place, or that of deep cosmic fear. In other words, this already sounds like a terrific night at the movies.
Revival may be a ways off from coming to a theater near you, but you can see Mike Flanagan’s previous takes on Stephen King, Gerald’s Game and Doctor Sleep, on Netflix and digital/physical rental, respectively.
