Daily Dead Editor-in-Chief Jonathan James is attending The Overlook Film Festival in Oregon, where they have announced that a new version of Firestarter is in development.

Following the screening of Akiva Goldsman's new supernatural horror film, Stephanie, Goldsman and Jason Blum stepped on stage for a Q&A, where they announced that Goldsman will direct a new version of Stephen King's 1980 novel, Firestarter.

Goldsman will direct the new take on the story about a girl with pyrokinetic abilities who is hunted by a sinister organization known as The Shop. The new Firestarter movie will be co-written by Goldsman (who also co-wrote The Dark Tower movie, based on King's epic fantasy book series) and Scott Teems (Rectify, That Evening Sun), and Goldsman mentioned that they are looking to the book for inspiration.

Jason Blum's Blumhouse Productions will support the new Firestarter film, and Universal is taking part in its development, too. Martha de Laurentiis, who served as an associate producer on the first adaptation of Firestarter, is also on board as an executive producer for the latest version.

Goldsman has previously worked with Blumhouse as an executive producer on the first three Paranormal Activity sequels (Goldsman and Blum are screening their favorite Paranormal Activity movie at The Overlook Film Festival).

Stephen King has given his blessing on the latest adaptation of Firestarter, which was adapted for the big screen in a 1984 film directed by Mark. L. Lester and starring Drew Barrymore. A TV movie sequel, Firestarter 2: Rekindled, was released in 2002.

Stay tuned to Daily Dead for more details on the new Firestarter film and other updates from The Overlook Film Festival at the Timberline Lodge (the hotel used for exterior shots in Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of King's The Shining).

For those unfamiliar with Firestarter, we have the book's official synopsis (via StephenKing.com) and the trailer for its first film adaptation:

"The Department of Scientific Intelligence (aka "The Shop") never anticipated that two participants in their research program would marry and have a child. Charlie McGee inherited pyrokinetic powers from her parents, who had been given a low-grade hallucinogen called "Lot Six" while at college. Now the government is trying to capture young Charlie and harness her powerful firestarting skills as a weapon."

  • Derek Anderson
    About the Author - Derek Anderson

    Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.

    When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.