A new Stephen King adaptation is on the way, this time based on the novella “Rat,” a shorter story from King’s 2020 collection If It Bleeds. In the 21st century, Stephen King adaptations remain as prominent as ever in the entertainment industry, following The Long Walk‘s recent Rotten Tomatoes success.
“Rat” follows writer Drew Larson, who is plagued by misfortune and retreats to a cabin in Maine, where, “In the grip of fever and madness, a stranger appears—an uncanny visitor who promises salvation and success…for a price Drew can barely comprehend,” per ᴅᴇᴀᴅline. Those familiar with the source material will know this as an excellent, dark Faustian bargain story.
A collection of talented horror filmmakers has come together to tackle this project: The Rat movie adaptation will be directed by Isaac Ezban (Mal de Ojo, Párvulos), written by Jeff Howard (The Haunting of Hill House), and produced by Jay Van Hoy (The Witch, The Lighthouse), Fernando Ferro, and Paul Perez.
A fairly recent entry among all of Stephen King’s books, If It Bleeds comprises four novellas, also including “If It Bleeds,” “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone,” and “The Life of Chuck.” The latter also got a movie adaptation starring Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill, which saw its wide release this year. But despite critical acclaim, The Life of Chuck flopped at the box office.
What This Means For Stephen King Movies
The Long Walk and The Life of Chuck have unfortunately proven that adaptations of King’s works are not immune to commercial challenges, though Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey saw a much better gross. And the entertainment industry has hardly given up yet, with many more upcoming Stephen King adaptations, including The Running Man and It: Welcome to Derry in 2025 alone.
Rat potentially faces even greater obstacles, as the next adaptation coming from the If It Bleeds collection, when The Life of Chuck did so poorly. But the filmmakers can hopefully learn from the mistakes of The Life of Chuck and 2022’s Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, and turn Rat into a тιԍнтly-paced, poignant, and well-advertised psychological horror.
Our Take On Stephen King’s Becoming A Movie
Though it may be a novella, it is clear from past projects that there should be enough material for Rat to be a feature-length movie — perhaps a shorter one, which is an appealing characteristic many films lack these days. The Long Walk is a relatively simple concept explored in such a way as to be a full story, and the results were fantastic on the page and the screen.
Hopefully, the team working on Rat has a strong understanding of the thematics of this piece of literature and is prepared to deftly elaborate on them in a new medium. Like many Stephen King stories, “Rat” is a bit bizarre and inexplicable in its horror, which is difficult to adapt, but could make for a stellar movie if done right.
Stephen King
- Birthdate
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September 21, 1947
- Birthplace
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Portland, Maine, USA
- Notable Projects
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The Shawshank Redemption, The Shining, It, The Stand, Misery, The Dark Tower, Mr. Mercedes, Carrie
- Professions
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Author, Screenwriter, Producer, Director, Actor
- Height
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6 feet 4 inches
