Stephen King has written so many short stories and novels that filmmakers for years to come will have plenty to mine from the author. Much like Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and even H.G. Wells, it’s safe to say that long after Mr. King has shuffled off this mortal coil his legacy will live on through the medium of cinema. Being a horror writer, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind me stating the fact like that.
An independent film adaptation of King’s short story “The Ten O’clock People” is the latest project from the master of horror to be announced. “The Ten O’clock People” is a short story from King’s 1993 collection of tales known as “Nightmares and Dreamscapes.” It tells the story of a man who is trying to quit smoking. He discovers that those who attempt to quit smoking can see many of the individuals living among us in positions of power (police officers, political figures, etc.) are bat like creatures disguised as people. This is caused by an uncommon chemical imbalance caused by his smoking only on his 10:00 am break, thus explaining the title of the story and film.
“The Ten O’clock People” sounds like it would make for a great movie. The main character ends up running off with a group of people who quit smoking and form a team of monster hunters. I have a good feeling they’re going to lean heavily on that part of the story. I imagine the first quarter of the film will be the man coming to grips with what he’s seeing and then the other three quarters of the film will be battles with the creatures.
The movie version of “The Ten O’clock People” is being directed and written by E.J. Meyers. This is Meyers’ feature film directorial debut. He has worked on commercial productions for Black Lens Media and assisted with animated features for The Disney Channel. He also co-wrote a script that was sought after by HBO.
The special effects and makeup for “The Ten O’clock People” are in good hands. Academy Award nominee Mike Elizalde’s company Spectral Motion is in charge of them. His team has worked on films like “Hellboy,” “X-Men: First Class,” and “Fantastic Four.”
The cast of “The Ten O’clock People” are made up of relatively unknown actors. That should help take the viewer out of the “Hollywood” comfort zone we’re put in many times because of big-name actors that keep us from letting go of reality and completely immersing ourselves in a film. The cast includes Clayton Watson as the lead character, Jose Gonsalves, Tonia Passow, Adrian Annis (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One”), and Christina Moody.
“The Ten O’clock People” looks like it could prove to be an adaptation of a Stephen King story that might not fall into the typical sinkholes that many of the movies based on his books have. It’s based on an original concept that hasn’t been done to death like vampires, werewolves, and the likes. I am definitely favoring this over a remake of “Cujo” or “Graveyard Shift.”
For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:
New ‘Children of the Corn’ Sequel Coming
‘Fright Night’ Update Fun, Terrifying at the Same Time
‘Hellraiser: Revelations’ Looks to Be Truly Painful
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