Stephen King's Fairy Tale Just Landed An Acclaimed Director For Its Movie Adaptation
Adaptations of written works, ranging from best-selling novels to comic books, are far from a rarity in Hollywood — especially nowadays. Look no further than successes like HBO's "Game of Thrones" franchise, the increasingly expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe, the "Paddington" duology, and more, which all find their roots in print. Of course, it's impossible to discuss such cinematic endeavors without mentioning the name Stephen King: an author whose works have been the talk of popular culture for decades while providing the perfect basis for all kinds of big and small screen adaptations.
From "It" to "Firestarter," King's works have proven a goldmine for the film and television industries. Sure, not all of these attempted reimaginings have panned out as those behind them would've liked (Case in point, the 2017 feature "The Dark Tower" or the 1995 miniseries "The Langoliers," among others), but when they've won, they've won big. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that as King continues to pick up the pen, more adaptations are on their way down the production pipeline. One such title to keep an eye out for in the future is "Fairy Tale," based on the 2022 novel of the same name.
As work on the "Fairy Tale" movie ramps up, it has come to light who will take on directing duties.
Paul Greengrass will sit in the director's chair for Fairy Tale
In a report from Deadline on September 15, 2022, the publication confirmed that Paul Greengrass has signed on to direct and co-produce the "Fairy Tale" adaptation. Greengrass' directing career dates back to the 1980s, and in the years since, he has led such productions as "Captain Phillips" and "News of the World." He's also helmed three installments in the "Bourne" franchise, those being "The Bourne Supremacy," "The Bourne Ultimatum," and "Jason Bourne." "'Fairy Tale' is a work of genius. A classic adventure story and also a disturbing contemporary allegory," Greengrass said of Stephen King's latest novel.
So, what did King — a man who's never been shy about sharing his dislike for cinematic handlings of his work — have to say about Greengrass' hiring? "Needless to say, I'm a Paul Greengrass fan and think he's a wonderful choice for this film," he stated, evidently giving Greengrass his stamp of approval to make the "Fairy Tale" movie a reality. At the time of this writing, it's unknown through which studio or release avenue the film will premiere. Although, Deadline notes that given the name value of King and Greengrass collectively, numerous parties plan to toss their hats into the ring.
Time will tell what the future holds for the "Fairy Tale" adaptation, but hiring Paul Greengrass to direct is certainly a solid first step in the right direction.