'Carrie' remake begins principal photography

Principal photography has commenced in Toronto, Ontario, on the horror film remake "Carrie," it was announced today (Wednesday) by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and Screen Gems.

The remake is set for a 2013 release.

Director Kimberly Peirce ("Boys Don’t Cry," "Stop-Loss") re-imagines Stephen King’s best-selling novel for MGM and Screen Gems’ take on the enduring genre classic. Starring Chloë Grace Moretz ("Hugo"), four time Oscar-nominee Julianne Moore ("Crazy, Stupid, Love," "The Kids are Alright") and Judy Greer ("The Descendants"), "Carrie" tells the supernatural tale of a telekinetic teenage girl tormented by her peers. The film is slated for a 2013 theatrical release.

The story is set in the quiet suburb of Chamberlain, Maine, home to the deeply religious and conservative Margaret White (Moore) and her daughter Carrie (Moretz). Carrie is a sweet but meek outcast whom Margaret has sheltered from society. Gym teacher Miss Desjardin (Greer) tries in vain to protect Carrie from local mean girls led by the popular and haughty Chris Hargenson (Portia Doubleday, "Youth in Revolt"), but only Chris’ best friend, Sue Snell (Gabriella Wilde, "The Three Musketeers"), regrets their actions. In an effort to make amends, Sue asks her boyfriend, high school heartthrob Tommy Ross (newcomer Ansel Elgort), to take Carrie to prom. Pushed to the limit by her peers at the dance, Carrie unleashes telekinetic havoc. Brian De Palma’s 1976 film version of "Carrie" earned Oscar nominations for stars Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie.

MGM and Screen Gems’ "Carrie" is directed by Kimberly Peirce and produced by Kevin Misher ("Public Enemies"). J. Miles Dale ("The Vow") serves as executive producer and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa ("Big Love") wrote the script from King’s original story. The film's creative team includes Director of Photography Steve Yedlin ("Looper"), Production Designer Carol Spier ("Eastern Promises"), Costume Designer Luis Sequeira ("The Thing") and Editor Lee Percy ("Boys Don’t Cry").

'Carrie' welcomes Portia Doubleday, Judy Greer

Two key roles in the upcoming "Carrie" remake have been cast, with actresses Portia Doubleday and Judy Greer joining the production.

Portia Doubleday

The cast already includes Chloe Moretz ("Hugo") in the title role, Julianne Moore ("Children of Men") as her mother and Gabriella Wilde ("The Three Musketeers") as mean girl Sue Snell.

Based on Stephen King's debut 1974 novel, the film tells the story of shy high school girl Carrie, who uses her newly discovered telekinetic powers to get revenges upon her classmates.

According to Deadline, Doubleday ("Youth in Revolt") will play the main antagonist, Chris Hargensen, and Greer ("The Descendants") will portray gym teacher Miss Desjardin.

Judy Greer

Kimberly Peirce ("Boys Don't Cry") is directly the remake based on a screenplay from comic book writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who adapted King's "The Stand" into a graphic novel.

The original 1976 film, which was directed by Brian De Palma, starred Sissy Spacek in the title role.

It is expected that Aguirre-Sacasa's script will stay more faithful to King's book than the first film.

Fukunaga to write, direct Stephen King's 'It'

Warner Bros. has a director and screenwriters in place for its feature-film adaptation of Stephen King's "It."

"It" was published in 1986.

According to The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision, Cary Fukunaga ("Jane Eyre") will direct and co-write the script with Chase Palmer, director of the shorts "Shock and Awe" and "Neo-Noir."

The plan is for the book to be adapted into two films, Heat Vision's report says.

King's novel, which was first published in 1986, was adapted into a television mini-series in 1990.

A synopsis from King's website describes the books as this: A promise made twenty-eight years ago calls seven adults to reunite in Derry, Maine, where as teenagers they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city's children. Unsure that their Losers Club had vanquished the creature all those years ago, the seven had vowed to return to Derry if IT should ever reappear. Now, children are being murdered again and their repressed memories of that summer return as they prepare to do battle with the monster lurking in Derry's sewers once more.

'Boys Don't Cry' director to helm 'Carrie' remake?

Boys may not cry but telekinetic girls get revenge.

Deadline is reporting that "Boys Don't Cry" director Kimberly Peirce is in talks to helm a remake of Stephen King's "Carrie."

The original film hit theaters in 1976.

The original 1976 film, which was directed by Brian De Palma, starred Sissy Spacek in the title role, a girl with special abilities pushed over the edge by her classmates at prom, leading to disastrous results.

News of a remake first appeared last May when it is was reported that MGM and Screen Gems had brought in screenwriter Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who rewrote the "Spider-Man" musical. A comic book writer, he also wrote the graphic novel adaptation of King's "The Stand."

It is expected that, Aguirre-Sacasa's script will stay more faithful to King's book than the original film.

Despite King's connection to the screenwriter, however, the author did not appear pleased at the news of a remake, telling Entertainment Weekly in May, “The real question is why, when the original was so good? I mean, not 'Casablanca,' or anything, but a really good horror-suspense film, much better than the book. Piper Laurie really got her teeth into the bad-mom thing."

King added that he could "get behind it" if David Lynch ("Mullholland Dr.," "Twin Peaks," "Dune") or David Cronenberg ("The Dead Zone," "The Fly," "A History of Violence") was involved.

With today's news, however, that doesn't appear to be the case.

Steven Spielberg and Stephen King to bring 'Under the Dome' to Showtime

Steven Spielberg and Stephen King are partnering to bring the author's 2009 novel "Under the Dome" to Showtime as a series.

The novel was published in 2009.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project will be produced by DreamWorks Television with King as executive producer along side DreamWorks TV's Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank.

The novel follows a small town in Maine which is suddenly closed off from the rest of the world by a impassible force field, and how the residents trapped inside react.

This isn't the first time Spielberg and King partnered on a project. In 2006, they tried to bring King and Peter Straub's "The Talisman" to TNT as a six-part mini-series but the project ultimately fell through due to budget concerns.

Ron Howard shopping 'The Dark Tower' to find new backers

The journey to Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" maybe not be over quite yet, but Universal Picture's decision not to move forward with ambitious project has delayed the adaptation by at least a year.

The project may not be dead after all.

Producer Brian Grazer spoke with The New York Post's Page Six, saying Ron Howard is now "trying to get outside financing to make it, and distribute it through a major [studio]."

Howard and Grazer had planned their adaptation of King's seven-novel series as three movies combined with a pair of television series to tell the story of Roland Deschain's journey to the titular tower. At one point, Javier Bardem ("No Country for Old Men") was in talks to star as Roland.

In July, however, Universal passed on the project, willing only to commit to the first film after receiving scripts from Akiva Goldsman ("I Am Legend," "A Beautiful Mind") for the film and television series. This wasn't good enough for Howard and Glazer and the deal fell through.

According to Page Six, Glazer said they plan to still pursue a television component to the adaptation, but no longer with Universal's NBC. Instead they are looking to other networks or perhaps Netflix to bring "The Dark Tower" to the screen.

The delay, however, means Ron is moving forward with "Rush," about Formula One racer Niki Lauda, and Grazer is working on "J. Edgar," which stars Leonardo DiCaprio.

"The soonest we could do ["The Dark Tower"] would be June next year," Grazer told Page Six.

'Silence of the Lambs' director Jonathan Demme to adapt Stephen King's '11/22/63'

Stephen King is in high demand these days, unless of course you're Universal Pictures.

The novel will be release Nov. 8.

On the heels of the news that "Harry Potter" director David Yates and scribe Steve Kloves are in talks for a multi-film adaptation of "The Stand" and A&E is producing a mini-series based on the author's "Bag of Bones," director Jonathan Demme has picked up the movie rights to "11/22/63," King's latest and as-yet-unreleased novel.

Demme won the 1992 Academy Award for directing "The Silence of the Lambs." His resume also includes "Philadelphia," which earned actor Tom Hanks his first Academy Award win, as well as "Married to the Mob" and "Swimming to Cambodia."

According to Deadline, Demme is set to write, produce and director the adaptation of "11/22/63," which follows a teacher who travels back in  time to stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The novel will be released Nov. 8.

King's website includes the follow summary:

Jake Epping is a 35-year-old high school English teacher in Lisbon Falls, Maine, who makes extra money teaching adults in the GED program. He receives an essay from one of the students--a gruesome, harrowing first person story about the night 50 years ago when Harry Dunning’s father came home and killed his mother, his sister, and his brother with a hammer. Harry escaped with a smashed leg, as evidenced by his crooked walk.

Not much later, Jake’s friend Al, who runs the local diner, divulges a secret: his storeroom is a portal to 1958. He enlists Jake on an insane--and insanely possible--mission to try to prevent the Kennedy assassination. So begins Jake’s new life as George Amberson and his new world of Elvis and JFK, of big American cars and sock hops, of a troubled loner named Lee Harvey Oswald and a beautiful high school librarian named Sadie Dunhill, who becomes the love of Jake’s life--a life that transgresses all the normal rules of time.

A&E producing Stephen King's 'Bag of Bones' as mini-series

A&E Network is producing a four-hour mini-series based on author Stephen King's novel "Bag of Bones."

The novel was published in 1998.

The news broke last last month over at Deadline, with Pierce Brosnan ("GoldenEye") starring as Nike Noonan, an author trying unsuccessfully to deal with the death of his wife and years of writer's block.

A dream inspires Noonan to return to the couple's summer retreat in western Maine, a lakeside house called Sara Laughs. Shortly after arriving, he is caught in the middle of a custody battle involving the daughter of an attractive young widow and the child's enormously wealthy grandfather. He also discovers that Sara Laughs is haunted and that his late wife, Joanna, still has something to tell him.

The mini-series is scheduled for a fourth-quarter 2011 release with filming underway this month. According to the report, Mick Garris will direct based on a script by Matt Venne ("White Noise 2: The Light"). Garris has a history of adapting King's works for television, including "The Stand" (which may soon be up for a theatrical remake), "The Shining" mini-series and "Desperation."

David Yates, Steve Kloves to adapt 'The Stand' into multiple films?

With the "Harry Potter" franchise now officially in the history books, Warner Bros. is apparently looking to turn director David Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves lose on another adaptation, Stephen King's "The Stand."

The mini-series was released in 1994.

Drew McWeeny over at HitFix is reporting the studio is finalizing deals for Yates and Kloves to re-team on a multi-film adaptation of the best-selling novel.

First published in 1978, "The Stand" is one of King's most well known and celebrated novels, documenting the downfall of humanity following a deadly virus kills almost everyone. Those who survive find themselves drawn into two camps as part of a final battle between good and evil.

The novel was adapted into a 1994 television mini-series on ABC with a star-studded cast including Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwall, Rob Lowe, Ray Walston and Ruby Dee. Written by King himself, the six-hour mini-series is one of the more successful television adaptation of his works.

Mixed signals following collapse of 'Dark Tower' project

The dust is still settling from the collapse of Ron Howard's planned adaptation of Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series, so perhaps it's not surprising there are decidedly mixed signals coming from the wreckage.

Stephen King

Universal Pictures passed on the ambitious project to turn Stephen King's "Dark Tower" series in a trio of films bridges by two television mini-series. Deadline reported Monday that the Universal would only commit to the first film after receiving scripts from Akiva Goldsman ("I Am Legend," "A Beautiful Mind") for the film and television series. This project's backers were not satisfied with the decision and refused to sign on.

King spoke briefly with Entertainment Weekly about the setback, saying he wasn't surprised by the decision but was still hopeful the project can still be made.

“I’m sorry Universal passed, but not really surprised,” he told EW in an email. “As a rule, they’ve been about smaller and less risky pix; maybe they feel it would be better to stick with those fast and furious racing boys. I bear them no ill will, and trust Ron Howard to get Roland and his friends before the camera somewhere else. He’s very committed to the project.”

Ron Howard

Despite King's optimism, Deadline reported Tuesday that Howard will be directing an adaptation of Jon Krakauer's "Under the Banner of Heaven" with a script from Dustin Lance Black ("Milk," "J. Edgar"). According to publisher Random House, the nonfiction book follows "an appalling double murder committed by two Mormon Fundamentalist brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty, who insist they received a revelation from God commanding them to kill their blameless victims."

According to Deadline's reports, Warner Bros., which is backing "Under the Banner of Heaven," is a possible partner to revive the "Dark Tower" project, so this could be a double-edged sword, with Howard strengthening his partnership with the studio but also filling up his slate.

As I said Monday, Warner Bros. is sure to be looking for a new franchise now that "Harry Potter" is done, even if they target markets would be decidedly different.

Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa to pen "Carrie" remake for MGM, Screen Gems

It's hard to think of high school proms and not for at least a moment, recall Sissy Spacek covered in pig's blood in the film adaptation of Stephen King's "Carrie."

Well, MGM and Screen Gems will be attempting to recreate those memories with a remake of the classic horror film and have brought in Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa to write the script.

"Carrie" began scaring audiences in 1976

Deadline is reporting that Aguirre-Sacasa, who mostly recently rewrote the "Spider-Man" musical, will stay more faithful to King's book, comparing it to Joel and Ethan Coen's work on "True Grit."

Aguirre-Sacasa, a comic book writer, wrote the graphic novel adaptation of King's "The Stand."

Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly spoke with King on the proposed remake, and he didn't sound overly thrilled.

“The real question is why, when the original was so good?" EW quoted King. "I mean, not 'Casablanca,' or anything, but a really good horror-suspense film, much better than the book. Piper Laurie really got her teeth into the bad-mom thing."

He did add that he could "get behind it" if David Lynch ("Mullholland Dr.," "Twin Peaks," "Dune") or David Cronenberg ("The Dead Zone," "The Fly," "A History of Violence") was involved.

For fear of sounding like a broken record, I'll skip my usual speech about remakes and simply ask why? No, really, I want to know, because I have no idea. Besides, didn't they already try this will the ill-conceived "The Rage: Carrie 2" in 1999?