Stephen King’s ‘The Dark Half’ Adaptation Coming From ‘Her Smell’ Director Alex Ross Perry
Stephen King’sThe Dark Halfis getting a second chance on the big screen thanks toAlex Ross Perry. Perry will write and direct a new adaptation of King’s horror novel, which was previously filmed by George A. Romero. The story concerns a writer whose pseudonym comes to life and starts murdering people. The inspiration came after King’s own pseudonym, Richard Bachman, was discovered.Deadlineis reporting that Alex Ross Perry will write and direct a newDark Halfmovie, adapted from the novel by Stephen King. The project is being hailed as a “reinvention”, but in the original story, novelist Thad Beaumont “kills off” his pseudonym George Stark – only to have Stark come to life and start murdering people Thad knows. Here’s the book’s synopsis:
When King started his career, publishers were averse to publishing more than one book from the same author in the same year. This was a problem for the prolific King, who has probably banged-out ten more books while I’ve been writing this. In order to get around this rule, King adopted a pseudonym, Richard Bachman. King’s ruse went undetected for a few years, but eventually was found out. As a result, King “killed off” Bachman, although he’s brought the pen name back a few times since then.
The Dark Halfwas previously adapted into a 1993 film directed by George Romero, and it was pretty good! That said, I’m excited about this new take simply because of Perry’s involvement. While Perry hasn’t made a straightforward horror film, many of his movies show that he has a grasp on horror in general. His psychological dramaQueen of Earthis loaded with genuinely unnerving moments, and his recentHer Smellhas some full-blown horrific moments. I’m very curious to see what he does with something that’sactuallya horror movie.The DarkHalfis the latest in a non-stop barrage of King adaptations. This year we gotPet Sematary,It Chapter Two,Doctor Sleep,In the Tall Grass, a new season of the King-inspiredCastle Rockand an episode of theCreepshowseries based on one of King’s short stories. Meanwhile, film and TV adaptations ofFrom a Buick 8,The Tommyknockers,Lisey’s Story,The Stand,The Dark Tower, and more, are all on the horizon.
