Deadline is reporting that a feature film adaptation of the Stephen King novella Rat is in development from producer Jay Van Hoy (The Witch, The Lighthouse) and director Isaac Ezban (Mal de Ojo, Párvulos).
Published as part of 2020’s If It Bleeds, Rat “follows Drew Larson, a writer “cursed by his own ambition. Each attempt at a novel has ended in disaster—illness, misfortune, or worse. Determined to break the cycle, he retreats to a desolate cabin in the Maine woods, convinced this time will be different. But as a violent storm traps him in isolation, Drew’s body falters and his mind begins to unravel. In the grip of fever and madness, a stranger appears—an uncanny visitor who promises salvation and success…for a price Drew can barely comprehend.”
“Stephen King has always been my favorite writer, ever since I started reading horror as a teenager, and since then, I’ve had the long-time dream of adapting some of his material,” said He embodies that essence of the contrast of beauty and brutality that has shaped my vision and sensibilities as a storyteller. I’ve read most of his work, and Rat remains one of my favorite stories he’s ever created… the perfect match — a dark, intimate, bizarre, even humorous and deeply unsettling story that gets under your skin… I see this as a survival movie about writer’s block, and also as the ultimate tale of our craft vs. our people, our creations vs. our loved ones, our art vs. our family, a theme I can very personally relate to. King has always inspired me as a filmmaker and a storyteller, and I feel honored to bring this tale to life.”
Rat will mark the third of the four stories featured in If It Bleeds adapted for the big screen after 2022’s Mr. Harrigan’s Phone and The Life of Chuck, which was released earlier this year.
