Stephen King’s fairy tale is being adapted by Paul Greengrass

Wow – that it didn’t take long. Just a month after the book debut of Stephen King’s new fantasy novel Fairy taleUniversal Pictures has reportedly won a heated bidding skirmish that will transport the 600-page coming-of-age story out of readers’ imaginations to the big screen.

Term informs that Universal will adapt Fairy tale in a feature film with director Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips, World Newsthe Bourne franchise) at the helm, ending a short-lived but high-stakes studio competition for the rights to King’s sweeping story about a boy who discovers an incredible fantasy realm.

Written during the COVID-19 pandemic as a “happy” outlet to placate King’s prolific imagination, Fairy tale debuted in book form last month with a story that follows 17-year-old protagonist Charlie Reade through the doors of a nondescript backyard shed and into a wonderful, but decaying, new world.

Like many of King’s fantasy stories, Fairy tale it is not an easy journey through the idyllic and tantalizing parts of new discoveries. Charlie has had a rough ride in his young life: his mother died in a hit-and-run accident, leaving his father to drown the tragedy in alcohol. But after going to work for a mysterious aging recluse named Howard Bowditch, Charlie eventually stumbles upon a well-hidden portal, long hidden behind Howard’s decrepit hilltop mansion, where he knocks on the front door. your high risk adventure.

With his dog by his side, Charlie joins a secret conflict of good versus evil, set in an alternate earth inspired by King’s original visions of gargoyles, “haunted buildings,” “shattered statues,” and “an enormous palace in expansion with crystal towers”. so high that their points pierced the clouds”, explains the author in the synopsis of the novel.

“Needless to say, I’m a huge fan of Paul Greengrass and I think he’s a wonderful choice for this film,” King said via Term‘s report, assuring that he is aboard Universal’s Fairy tale film treatment. For his part, Greengrass described Fairy tale as “a work of genius: a classic adventure story and also a haunting contemporary allegory”.

Greengrass will reportedly produce the film adaptation along with Greg Goodman (X Men First generation, Fantastic four, Jason Bourne), though there is no advance information on casting or an eventual release date. In the meantime, you can get your dose of Stephen King with the novel itself, while you access Netflix to Mr. Harrigan’s phone — the latest film adaptation of the work of the master of the genre.

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