While there is no denying the broad success of Stephen King adaptations in general over the last half-century, it has been frequently argued that the author's stories best suited to become features are his novellas. Simply put, they are the perfect length: there is no expansion on the material that is required with short stories, and there is none of the trimming that comes with trying to wrangle one of his expansive novels. But that's only one of the reasons why I am stoked by today's news that "Rat," first published in the 2020 collection If It Bleeds, is set to become a movie.
Deadline has the scoop on this news, adding a new title to the ever-expanding list of upcoming Stephen King projects. Mexican filmmaker Isaac Ezban has signed on to direct the film, and he'll be working with a screenplay written by Jeff Howard – who has King adaptation experience on his resume having co-written the screenplay for Gerald's Game with Mike Flanagan.
Should it make it through development, Rat will be the third movie based on a novella from If It Bleeds – the other two being director John Lee Hancock's Mr. Harrigan's Phone and Mike Flanagan's The Life Of Chuck (the only one that hasn't been adapted is the eponymous tale, which is a mystery featuring Stephen King's beloved detective protagonist Holly Gibney). Like many great King stories, this tale of terror is about a writer – specifically one named Drew Larson. After years of torturous frustration, he becomes determined to finally complete his first novel, and he believes that the key to finally getting it done is isolation.
Drew retreats to an old family cabin in the woods, but what he doesn't anticipate is being trapped by a terrible storm and worsening illness. Writer's block persists, and the whole thing becomes a swirling nightmare... until he makes a friend. He begins to converse with a rat that he discovers in the cabin, and the rodent offers him a very special deal – but it's one that comes with some deadly consequences.
It's a super creepy story that could end up being a terrifically creepy treat. Casting the right actor to play the lead will be essential, so I'll be very excited to see how the production proceeds in that department.
This is not the first time that an adaptation of Rat has been put in motion, as Ben Stiller acquired the rights to the novella shortly after If It Bleeds hit bookstores, and he had planned to produce, direct, and star. That project didn't move forward, and now the story is in new creative hands.
We are presently in the midst of one of the biggest years ever for Stephen King adaptations, with four movies arriving in theaters (The Monkey, The Life Of Chuck, The Long Walk, and The Running Man) and two television shows debuting (The Institute and IT: Welcome To Derry). There are presently no projects with dates on the 2026 release calendar, but it is expected that the year will see the debut of Mike Flanagan's Carrie series for Amazon Prime Video. And who knows: if Rat can move through development fast enough through development and production, perhaps it can wind up arriving in time for next Halloween season.
We'll be keeping an eye out for the latest news about Rat, so stay tuned here on CinemaBlend – and for a weekly update about all of the biggest developments in the world of Stephen King, be sure to check out my column The King Beat, which publishes every Thursday.
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