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UPI
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Summer reading: 5 books being adapted for film, TV
1 of 5 | Pierce Brosnan stars in a film adaptation of "The Thursday Murder Club." File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo June 20 (UPI) -- We Were Liars, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Rainmaker and other books are getting film and television adaptations this summer. The new adaptations will arrive on streaming platforms in June, July and August. John Slattery and Pierce Brosnan are among the stars who appear in upcoming film or TV adaptations. Read on for an overview of what to expect: 'We Were Liars' E. Lockhart's young adult suspense novel was published in 2018, followed by a prequel novel, Family of Liars, in 2022. Prime Video's adaptation stars Emily Alyn Lind as Cadence Sinclair Eastman, a wealthy girl trying to uncover secrets after an accident that she doesn't remember. The series also stars Caitlin Fitzgerald, Shubham Mahewshwari, Esther McGregor, Joseph Zada, Mamie Gummer, Candice King, Rahul Kohli and David Morse. Prime Video released a trailer for the series in June that shows Cadence returning to the scene of the incident to try and remember what happened to her. We Were Liars began streaming Wednesday. '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was penned by Jules Verne in 1869 and follows the adventures of Captain Nemo as he helms the Nautilus submarine. AMC is delivering a series inspired by the novel, titled Nautilus. Shazad Latif stars as Nemo, a prince and East India Mercantile Company prisoner who steals the submarine and escapes captivity. His adventure sends him on a quest to find mythic treasure while outrunning his captors. Georgia Flood, Celine Menville, Thierry Fremont, Richard E. Grant, Anna Torv and Noah Taylor also star. Two episodes arrive on AMC and AMC+ on June 29. 'The Institute' The Institute, written by Stephen King, was published in 2019, and will serve as inspiration for an upcoming show of the same name. MGM+ is adapting the book, and King will also serve as an executive producer on the project. Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman) is teenager who is abducted and taken to a facility where other kidnapped children with unique abilities are living. Ben Barnes portrays the police officer Tim Jamieson, who crosses paths with Luke. Mary-Louise Parker, Simone Miller, Fionn Laird, Hannah Galway, Julian Richings, Robert Joy and Martin Roach also star. Two episodes arrive on MGM+ July 13. 'The Rainmaker' John Grisham penned the 1995 novel The Rainmaker, which was previously adapted as a 1997 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Matt Damon and Claire Danes. The story will also serve as the inspiration for a new series on USA Network. Rudy Baylor (Milo Callaghan) gets fired from Leo Drummond's (John Slattery) law firm on his first day of work. His new gig working for Bruiser (Lana Parrilla) forces Rudy to face his old boss and his girlfriend (Madison Iseman) in the courtroom. P.J. Byrne, Dan Fogler, Wade Briggs and Robyn Cara also star in the series, which premieres Aug. 15. 'Thursday Murder Club' Richard Osman's 2020 novel serves as the inspiration for an upcoming Netflix film starring Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone director Chris Columbus helms the movie, and he described the cast as "the finest" since that film. Mirren portrays Elizabeth and Brosnan portrays Ron, retirees who solve cold cases as a hobby alongside Ben Kingsley's character Ibrahim and Celia Imrie's Joyce. An actual murder," however, gives the group their first "real case." The film also stars Naomi Ackie, Daniel Mays, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Tom Ellis, Jonathan Pryce, David Tennant, Paul Freeman, Geoff Bell, Richard E. Grant and Ingrid Oliver and lands on the streamer Aug. 28. Helen Mirren turns 75: a look back Dame Helen Mirren (L) and husband, Taylor Hackford, arrive at the Directors Guild of America Honors in New York City on December 10, 2000. The couple has been married since 1997. Photo by Laura Cavanaugh/UPI | License Photo
Atlantic
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Atlantic
The Appeal of Stephen King's Softer Side
Of Stephen King's two dozen novellas, The Life of Chuck is among the odder choices to make into a movie. The titular protagonist is an unexceptional accountant. His tale is told backwards, in loosely connected vignettes. And he barely appears in the first act, which follows a teacher making peace with what seems to be the end of the world. The story, as a whole, is heady, elegiac, and rather philosophical: At one point, Chuck wonders 'why God made the world.' In the wrong hands, such a story would become inert on-screen. Its sentimentality could easily come across as maudlin, its structure too confusing to follow. The Life of Chuck 's director, Mike Flanagan, has become something of a King whisperer, however, after bringing two of the author's (considered difficult-to-film) novels to the screen. Here, he has managed to translate the tricky material into a crowd-pleaser. King's work regularly gets turned into films and television shows: Aside from The Monkey, this year will also see the release of adaptations of The Long Walk, The Running Man, and The Institute, and a prequel series based on It. But as much as King may be known as a maestro at horror—an inherently cinematic genre—his greatest talent is generating worlds that feel lived in. He can conjure sense memories and a feeling of familiarity even for readers who have never, say, resided in a small town in Maine, stayed at an empty hotel, or found a dead body buried near a set of train tracks. The appeal of Flanagan's take on The Life of Chuck rests on his understanding of this resonant quality of King's writing; on-screen, as on the page, the story hums because it highlights the ordinary foundation upon which the supernatural can be built. Within the strange events is a core that is bittersweet and familiar. Told in three chapters, The Life of Chuck begins at the end of Chuck's journey, though the character (played from oldest to youngest by Tom Hiddleston, Jacob Tremblay, and Benjamin Pajak) appears mostly as an image on a series of advertisements thanking him for '39 great years!' until the movie's middle stretch. The high-concept reasons for that are best left unspoiled, although they're challenging in a way that makes Flanagan's efforts to render them legible even more enjoyable to watch; as with his other takes on the author's work, the director faithfully captures the source material down to its last King-ian flourish, whether that be a macabre joke or a precise detail. If anything, Flanagan revels in the novella's genre-bending dexterity, magnifying the eeriness of its opening scenes before deepening the homespun warmth of its subsequent chapters. He shoots each section using a different aspect ratio, and he swaps out casts and tones with abandon. Each storyline thus takes on a life of its own. Please forgive the cliché; it's only appropriate, because The Life of Chuck leans on quite a few of them. Inspired by Walt Whitman's 'Song of Myself' —specifically, the verse that reads 'I am large, I contain multitudes'—the overarching plot relies on familiar archetypes and tropes to communicate a poignant idea. Of course Chuck had a tragic childhood, one that would make him accept advice from his grandfather Albie (an affecting Mark Hamill) to choose a stable life over a passionate one. Of course the girl Chuck drags into dancing with him during the second act is someone who, like Chuck, desperately needs a pick-me-up. And of course Chuck discovers, as a boy, that within him, as with everyone, is a magic that can't be extinguished by time or circumstance. 'In this moment, I am wonderful,' the young Chuck tells himself one evening as he gazes at the stars, paraphrasing Whitman. 'I have a right to be wonderful.' The line borders on saccharine, and will probably make those less tolerant of sappiness cringe. But I fell for the film's earnest insistence that each of us has access to an inner world no one else can ever fully know; that message, as trite as it may be, is particularly touching because of its pointed delivery. Flanagan's well-assembled group of actors also helps balance out the film's mushier elements: Nick Offerman narrates throughout with a matter-of-fact wisdom, Hiddleston exudes an infectious verve during his centerpiece scene, and Mia Sara, coming out of retirement to play Chuck's grandmother, is a casting masterstroke. Her presence anchors the story, as in a scene of her character dancing in her kitchen, playfully singing along to a rock song on the radio while beckoning Chuck to join her. The moment is beautifully lit and performed, playing like a memory and a dream all at once. The best of King's works, even the ones that come with telekinetic teenagers and murderous clowns, find something amazing within the everyday. Trailers for The Life of Chuck have touted King as the author behind the stories that inspired The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and Stand by Me —all selections that fall outside of the horror he typically writes. Doing so makes sense; unlike the rest of this year's plentiful offerings, The Life of Chuck joins those titles as a King entry that probably won't induce nightmares, just potent emotion, maybe even joy. Yet Chuck's tale isn't devoid of suspense. It's aligned with the rest of the author's oeuvre because it illuminates the wonder and terror of being human: that to live means acknowledging that death approaches, that the multitudes we contain can't last forever. This truth is perhaps the most visceral fear there is—yet we should take comfort in knowing that it's also the most mundane.
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Why creepy new Stephen King series The Institute is already wowing fans
A creepy new series based on Stephen King's 2019 novel The Institute is set to scare viewers when it hits MGM+ next month. The eight-part limited series follows the terrifying story of Luke Ellis, a 12-year-old prodigy whose life is shattered overnight when he's kidnapped and wakes up inside a shadowy facility known only as The Institute. Inside, he meets other children with psychic abilities who are being subjected to disturbing and painful experiments under the watchful eye of the calculating Ms. Sigsby, played by Emmy-winner Mary-Louise Parker. While the children initially believe that they're there to be taught and cared for, they soon discover that the staff at The Institute are trying to weaponize their powers for evil. The series is helmed by executive producer Jack Bender, who is best known for his work on Lost, From and Child's Play 3. English actor Ben Barnes, best known for The Chronicles of Narnia and The Punisher, also has a major role. The official trailer was released this week and fans on social media weren't shy about sharing their opinions. 'The Institute is my fav S.K. book, I like the look of this trailer, it's promising, let's see,' commented one. 'So, it's Stranger Things. It's essentially the same facility where they kept Elle. Interesting,' added another. 'From what I'm seeing it's almost the same as the book. Can't wait. And now I want to reread the book,' wrote a third. 'Stephen King once again reminding us about the dangers of psychically empowered children,' joked another. Some fans also compared The Institute to The Gift and X Men: New Mutants. King's fans were furious earlier this year when Netflix announced it would be making a reboot of his novel Cujo. Amazon Prime also revealed that they're turning his iconic novel Carrie into a series. 'No creativity anymore.. everything's a remake..' complained one fan on Variety's Facebook page. 'Lol, stop this nonsense. The 1976 film is a classic,' exclaimed one die hard fan. Sissy Spacek, 75, earned her first Oscar nomination for the 1976 film in which she played an abused and bullied teenager with telekinetic powers. A made-for-TV movie starring Angela Bettis as Carrie in 2003 was panned by critics as was remake starring Chloë Grace Moretz in 2013. Summer H. Howell, 20, a fright flick veteran, is reportedly in talks to take on the title role, according to Deadline. One glimmer of hope regarding the outcome of the new series lies with horror veteran Mike Flanagan, who will write the script and direct the episodes. Flanagan received high praise for his 2019 adaptation of King's Doctor Sleep.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stephen King's ‘The Institute' Trailer Sees Gifted Kids Subjected To Horrific Experiments In MGM+ Series
UPDATED: MGM+ has dropped the first trailer for The Institute, its upcoming thriller series based on the 2019 Stephen King novel. 'There are things going on that you would not believe,' says a voiceover at the opening of the trailer. More from Deadline Titus Welliver To Star In 'The Westies' MGM+ Series Daniel Dae Kim's 'Butterfly' Series Based On Comic Gets Prime Video Premiere Date; First-Look Photos J.K. Simmons To Headline 'The Westies' MGM+ Series In one scene, one of the gifted children who have been abducted and taken to The Institute describes one of the horrific experiments that she is being subjected to. 'It feels like a nail is being hammered into your forehead.' The eight-episode series comes from director/executive producer Jack Bender (From), writer/executive producer Benjamin Cavell (Justified, The Stand) and MGM+ Studios. Watch the trailer above and see further details below. The Institute premieres July 13 on MGM+. PREVIOUS, June 5: MGM+ has slotted July 13 for the premiere of The Institute, its upcoming thriller series based on the 2019 Stephen King novel. The streamer also released some first-look photos and key art, which you can view above and below. From director/executive producer Jack Bender (From), writer/executive producer Benjamin Cavell (Justified, The Stand) and MGM+ Studios, the eight-episode series follows the story of teen genius Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman) who is kidnapped and awakens at The Institute, a facility full of children who all got there the same way he did, and who are all possessed of unusual abilities. In a nearby town, haunted former police officer Tim Jamieson (Ben Barnes) has come looking to start a new life, but the peace and quiet won't last, as his story and Luke's are destined to collide. The Institute also stars Mary-Louise Parker (Ms. Sigsby), Simone Miller (Kalisha), Fionn Laird (Nick), Hannah Galway (Wendy), Julian Richings (Stackhouse), Robert Joy (Dr. Hendricks) and Martin Roach (Chief Ashworth). King executive executive produces alongside Bender, who directs, Cavell, who penned the teleplay, Gary Barber, Sam Sheridan and Ed Redlich. Series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios. Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media Where To Watch All The 'John Wick' Movies: Streamers That Have All Four Films
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Titus Welliver To Star In ‘The Westies' MGM+ Series
EXCLUSIVE: Former Bosch star Titus Welliver is back on the cop beat as a lead opposite J.K. Simmons in The Westies, MGM+'s upcoming period crime drama series from co-creator, executive producer and showrunner Chris Brancato. Co-created by Brancato and Michael Panes, The Westies is set in the early 1980s when the construction of the Jacob Javitz Convention Center on the Westies' home turf in Hell's Kitchen promises a financial windfall for the Irish-American organized crime gang. Despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia, The Westies' legendary brutality and cunning have given them the leverage necessary to share the spoils through a fragile détente. But internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI's ever-deepening investigation into the Italian mafia. More from Deadline 'Bosch' Spinoff 'Ballard' Starring Maggie Q Sets Premiere Date At Prime Video 2025 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming Stephen King Series 'The Institute' Gets Premiere Date At MGM+; First Look Welliver will play Glenn Keenan, a troubled NYPD officer who grew up with the Westies crew, torn between loyalty to the law and love for his wayward son. He likely will spar with Simmons' Eamon Sweeney, the charismatic but ruthless leader of The Westies, in a pairing of two accomplished actors each of whom has headlined their own series. Production on the eight-episode The Westies is slated to begin in July in Toronto with casting by Seth Yanklewitz, CSA and Ben Pollack. Known for his role as LAPD Detective Harry Bosch in the Amazon franchise, Welliver recently starred in the proposed Equalizer spinoff for CBS. He next will be seen in the indie film Ricky, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Welliver is repped by UTA and Leverage of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media Where To Watch All The 'John Wick' Movies: Streamers That Have All Four Films
