If you're a Stephen King fan, there's a hell of a lot to be excited about in 2022. Not only does the literary legend have two books coming out, but there are at least three film adaptations expected to come out: Firestarter with Zac Efron, the remake of Salem's Lot, and Netflix's Mr. Harrigan's Phone starring Donald Sutherland, Jaden Martell, and more. I say "at least" because more King news seems to pop up everyday... such as this casting announcement that reveals Sophie Thatcher and Chris Messina have signed on to star in a developing movie based on the short story The Boogeyman.
This is a project that has been development for a long time, with Quiet Place writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods having been first been hired to write the first draft of the script back in mid-2018, but now it has some serious forward momentum happening. Back in November of last year it was reported that director Rob Savage had signed on to direct the film, which will be a Hulu original, and now Deadline is reporting that the project has started developing its cast.
It's somewhat fitting that Sophie Thatcher would sign on to be a part of a Stephen King adaptation right now. The young actor has been earning a great deal of acclaim in recent months as part of the ensemble in the Showtime original series Yellowjackets, and King is a prominent member of the show's growing fanbase. The author let his opinions be known via his Twitter account earlier this month, calling it "a hell of a good survival story" and "a hell of a good mystery story."
The Boogeyman will be Sophie Thatcher's first Stephen King movie, but she is not alone in that department, as Chris Messina has not yet been part of a King project either. The Birds of Prey star has been back and forth between the big and small screens in the last few years – starring on television shows including The Mindy Project, Sharp Objects, and The Sinner – but in 2021 he delivered one of my favorite supporting performances of the year with his small role in J Blakeson's dark comedy I Care A Lot.
Mark Heyman has been working on the latest draft of the script for The Boogeyman, and at this point it's unclear how close the adaptation will hone to the original Stephen King short story – which is included in the collection Night Shift. The non-linear story centers on a man named Lester Billings who believes that his children have been killed by the eponymous supernatural entity. The trade report doesn't mention the specific roles that either Sophie Thatcher or Chris Messina will play.
To keep track of all developing Stephen King projects, check out our Upcoming Stephen King Movies and TV guide, and head over to our 2022 Movie Release Calendar to learn about all of the features currently scheduled to hit theaters and streaming before the end of the year.
