Stephen King is counted as a modern master of horror for good reason, as his stories have delighted and disturbed fans for decades now. His stories have been successfully adapted for television, with Castle Rock ranking as one of the most original new series of 2018 for many viewers. Now, an adaptation of one of his most disturbing short stories is reportedly in the works for an installment of the Creepshow anthology series. "Survivor Type" from the Skeleton Crew collection of stories is apparently headed to the small screen.
A new report courtesy of Production Weekly (via Birth.Movies.Death.) states that Creepshow is tackling the "Survivor Type" short story, which is a story that is quite disturbing even by Stephen King standards, and Stephen King is the man who came up with that sewer orgy scene in the IT novel! In case you're not familiar with "Survivor Type," here are the broad strokes of what it's about.
"Survivor Type" is written in the form of a diary by a disgraced surgeon going by the name of Richard Pine. First published in 1982, the story follows Pine after his cruise ship sank somewhere in the Pacific, leaving him with few supplies beyond the large amount of heroin he'd been attempting to smuggle on the high seas.
I won't get into spoilers of how Pine gets by, but given that this is a Stephen King tale we're talking about, you can probably guess that Pine didn't last because he mastered the art of roasting plentiful and easily-captured animals. The story delivers a very different kind of fright than readers get from Pennywise the Dancing Clown and the Overlook hotel.
Adapting "Survivor Type" for the small screen is no small task, but we can be pretty confident that Creepshow has the right man for the job. The Walking Dead executive producer and special effects makeup guru Greg Nicotero will direct the episode that tackles "Survivor Type," and he is also on board Creepshow as creative director and producer.
The odds are pretty good that the anthology episode won't have to shy away from the gruesome nature of the story, as Creepshow won't air on broadcast, basic, or even premium cable. No, Creepshow is being produced for AMC's premium streaming service Shudder, and it's entirely possible that Creepshow on that platform will be able to get away with more than Greg Nicotero has been able to on The Walking Dead on AMC proper.
Creepshow is expected to premiere on Shudder at some point this year. All things considered, 2019 could be a very good year for Stephen King adaptations. The long awaited Pet Sematary film is finally hitting theaters in the spring, and IT: Chapter 2 is on the way for September. The second season of Castle Rock is expected in 2019 as well, although no premiere date has been listed. Still, the info that has been released about Season 2 so far has me plenty excited!
Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in the greatest TV and Movies news. For some viewing options while we wait for Creepshow, take a peep at our midseason TV premiere schedule.
