It looks like Stephen King fans are getting an unexpected big-screen adaptation of one of the master storyteller’s old short stories. The Boogeyman was initially set to debut on Hulu later this year, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, the release of the movie is being reworked thanks to positive test screenings. The classic King tale of horror will get a theatrical release on June 2, with a streaming release on Hulu being postponed to a later date.
The Boogeyman is based on a short story published as part of King’s Night Shift collection tales. The synopsis of the movie reads, “Still reeling from the tragic death of their mother, a teenage girl and her little brother find themselves plagued by a sadistic presence in their house and struggle to get their grieving father to pay attention before it’s too late.” As one of King’s older stories, the story has been adapted previously in short movies, but this is the first big production of the story to be made.
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The film was originally set up back in 2018 as a follow–up project for A Quiet Place filmmakers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who were said to be developing the script for the movie. At the time, The Boogeyman was part of 20th Century Fox’s list of upcoming projects, and of course, the Disney merger meant that the film changed hands and fell off the radar for a while. At the time, Beck commented:
“You always have to get your script, basically, blessed by Stephen King once you basically have a draft, and he gave the thumbs up on that. We’re not sure … with the Disney and Fox merger, that’s the only big hiccup and we’re off in pre-production land on our next movie. But, outside of that, yeah. We’re hoping, fingers crossed, that that movie can see the light of day sooner than later."
Has The Boogeyman Been Worth the Wait?
It seems like the answer to that is a resounding yes. In the last two years, studios have constantly been adapting their release schedules to keep up with changes in audience behaviors, whether COVID related or otherwise, and to capitalize on films in whichever way suits the release. While this has led to many movies hitting streaming platforms either as streaming exclusives, simultaneously with a short theatrical run, or very quickly after their cinema run ends, a select few have bucked the trend.
The Boogeyman has reportedly followed in the footsteps of Evil Dead Rise and Smile to generate a positive test screening and be given an unexpected cinema release. Whether The Boogeyman can be another big horror hit is yet to be seen, but it certainly has the makings of another classic Stephen King movie. The Boogeyman is directed by Rob Savage and produced by Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, and Cohen for 21 Laps, as well as Scott Beck and Bryan Woods acting as executive producers with Emily Morris. The film stars Chris Messina, Sophie Thatcher, Vivien Lyra, David Dastmalchian, Marin Ireland, and Madison Hu.
