There are several projects underway to adapt Stephen King stories for film or television. We’ll cover recent news, touch on projects that may be slowing down, and add a few that may never make it out of “development hell.”

1. Shelter – Based on the novel the red boy, Haven is about a small town in Maine that has long been a haven for people with a wide range of supernatural abilities. This television series premieres on July 9, 2010 on the Syfy network.
2. bag of bones – A novelist grieving the death of his wife moves into his summer house and discovers that it is haunted. In February 2010, Mick Garris (The Shining, The Stand, Desperation) said that this miniseries will “hopefully shoot in late spring, early summer.” An announcement is expected soon on which network will air the miniseries.
3. pet cemetery – When a family pet is buried in the local pet cemetery, it comes back to life. But, it comes back a little “different”. Screenwriter Matthew Greenberg (1408, Halloween H20) was recently hired to pen the script.
4. home delivery – Aliens infect earthlings with a plague of zombies. Residents of a small island off the coast of Maine prepare to fight back as dead friends and family begin to rise. Twin brothers John and Paul Buckholts opted for the film rights and have adapted this zombie tale. Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura will take charge of the project.
5. It’s – Seven children in a small Maine town are terrorized by a shapeshifter who takes the form of a clown. According to a March 2009 Variety article, Warner Brothers is going ahead with the new movie. Kevin McDonald will direct from a script written by Dave Kajganich.
6. under the dome – An entire small town in Maine is abruptly trapped under a giant, invisible dome. In November 2009 it was reported that Steven Spielberg would be producing the film as an “event series” with a plan to sell it on network television.
7. From a Buick 8 – A car stored in a shed at the state police headquarters in Statler, Pennsylvania, is actually a portal between dimensions. Latest reports indicate that the script has been approved by Stephen King, and Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Poltergeist, Salem’s Lot) has signed on to direct. Funding is currently on hold.
8. the talisman – Young Jack Sawyer goes cross-country to save his dying mother. During the search for him, he goes back and forth between Earth and a parallel Earth called The Territories, where almost everyone has a “twin”… except Jack. Steven Speilberg was attached to this project for several years and planned to adapt it as a 6-hour miniseries. It’s listed on the Internet Movie Database as being in “pre-production” with a 2012 release date, but for all we know, this one is dead in the water. Again.
9. the dark tower – Stephen King’s magnum opus about a gunslinger in another dimension, called Mid-World, who journeys towards a legendary tower said to be the nexus of all universes. JJ Abrams signed on to direct for a while, but gave the rights back to King. In April 2010, it was reported that The Dark Tower could be adapted into a trilogy and a television series. Negotiations are ongoing at this time. Akiva Goldsman will write with Ron Howard producing and directing.
10. Cell – A cell phone signal turns everyone who hears it into zombie killers. Eli Roth was originally attached to direct the film, but that plan was apparently dropped. The new plan is for John Harrison (Dune miniseries) to write a four-hour miniseries.