Stephen King's Fairy Tale Adaptation Moving Forward at Universal Pictures

Last month was a big one for Stephen King fans, as not only did his new novel Fairy Tale hit shelves, but it was revealed that filmmaker Paul Greengrass was developing a film adaptation of the story, with Deadline confirming today that Universal Pictures has secured the distribution of the project. With some King adaptations landing at streamers like Netflix, Hulu, and Apple TV+, Universal joining the project means the film will likely land in theaters, though with Peacock gaining steam, it's also possible the project could land at that streamer. Stay tuned for details on the development of Fairy Tale.

"Needless to say, I'm a Paul Greengrass fan and think he's a wonderful choice for this film," King shared in response to the announcement. Greengrass added, "Fairy Tale is a work of genius. A classic adventure story and also a disturbing contemporary allegory."

Publisher Simon and Schuster describes the story, "Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself -- and his dad. Then, when Charlie is 17, he meets a dog named Radar and his aging master, Howard Bowditch, a recluse in a big house at the top of a big hill, with a locked shed in the backyard. Sometimes strange sounds emerge from it.

"Charlie starts doing jobs for Mr. Bowditch and loses his heart to Radar. Then, when Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie a cassette tape telling a story no one would believe. What Bowditch knows, and has kept secret all his long life, is that inside the shed is a portal to another world. 

"King's storytelling in Fairy Tale soars. This is a magnificent and terrifying tale about another world than ours, in which good is pitted against overwhelming evil, and a heroic boy -- and his dog -- must lead the battle."

Back when the book was originally unveiled, King shared of the story, "What could you write that would make you happy? As if my imagination had been waiting for the question to be asked, I saw a vast deserted city -- deserted but alive. I saw the empty streets, the haunted buildings, a gargoyle head lying overturned in the street. I saw smashed statues (of what I didn't know, but I eventually found out). I saw a huge, sprawling palace with glass towers so high their tips pierced the clouds. Those images released the story I wanted to tell."

Stay tuned for details on the adaptation of Fairy Tale.

Are you looking forward to the new movie? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!