The Mist's Sam Witwer Shares His Thoughts On Mike Flanagan's Remake And Re-Adapting The Stephen King Novella

In recent weeks, no development in the world of Stephen King has spurred as much chatter as Mike Flanagan's plans to remake The Mist. It came as a shock when the project was first announced in early February, and it stirred up plenty of consternation among Constant Readers who love the heartbreaking movie made by Frank Darabont – including those who have long learned to trust the Gerald's Game/Doctor Sleep/The Life of Chuck filmmaker with the author's work. Since the news was announced, fans have not heard any thoughts from Darabont about the plans, but for this week's edition of The King Beat, I have some commentary from one of the standout stars of the 2007 movie: Sam Witwer.

But as they like to say in informercials, that's not all! This column also has some fresh Stand By Me related commentary – including thoughts about the Rob Reiner film's box office history (following the 40th anniversary re-release of the coming-of-age classic this past weekend) and the new audiobook of "The Body" narrated by Wil Wheaton. There's a lot to discuss, so without further ado, let's dig in.

Sam Witwer Offers Some Interesting Thoughts On The Challenges Facing Mike Flanagan In Adapting The Mist

In Frank Darabont's The Mist, Sam Witwer plays Private Wayne Jessup, which is a character who is memorable for a couple of reasons. One is because of his standout role in the plot, as in addition to being an ally of protagonist David Drayton (Tom Jane), he ends up confessing details of the Arrowhead Project – a local military operation blamed for unleashing the titular fog and the monsters that lurk within it. The other reason is because the character doesn't exist in the source material and was created for the movie by Darabont to address certain issues in the story.

This in mind, the actor had some interesting thoughts to share when CinemaBlend recently asked him about Mike Flanagan's upcoming remake of The Mist. Witwer is currently promoting his role voicing the eponymous lead in the new animated limited series Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord, and when we spoke with him this week during the project's virtual press day, we asked for his thoughts about the newly announced Stephen King project. Said Witwer,

It would indeed be very surprising to see Mike Flanagan specifically utilize a character named Wayne Jessup, if not especially because the filmmaker says that the differences in his take on The Mist begin on page one and what fans can expect will not just be a straight remake. That being said, the existence of the character in the 2007 movie points at a couple issues that are rather vital to address in a big screen telling of the story.

Jessup's presence in the film allows certain story developments that effectively add to what Stephen King put on the page. The most obvious is the aforementioned revelations about the Arrowhead Project: it's included more as speculation in the novella but given weight from Jessup in the movie – who cites rumors he hears from the base that offer clarity about the unfolding supernatural terror. His role also serves to significantly add to the threat posed to all of the characters by the fanatical zealot Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden): when she calls down the order for Jessup to be killed, and he is ultimately stabbed in the stomach and thrown out of the grocery store, the danger she represents goes from being theoretical to real, and it makes it all the more terrifying when she later sets her targets on David’s son, Billy (Nathan Gamble).

Frank Darabount was essentially able to kill two birds with one stone in having his screenplay introduce the character, and in addition to being cognizant of that significance, Sam Witner's curiosity is piqued wondering what kind of solutions will be found by Mike Flanagan in tackling the same story. The actor continued,

So little is currently known about Mike Flanagan's The Mist that it's hard to properly speculate. A few weeks ago, I thought out a collection of four directions in which the writer/director might be going with the project – from a full reimagining that only maintains the high concept plot to a prequel that further explores the Arrowhead Project – but Flanagan is keeping hush hush about his approach for now.

We also don't know exactly when we might see this movie come together simply because of how outrageously busy the filmmaker is at the moment. His latest Stephen King project, a limited series adaptation of Carrie, is expected to arrive for Amazon Prime subscribers later this year; he is currently in production on the latest title in the Exorcist franchise for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse; and he is ever-working to steer the oil tanker that is his dream version of The Dark Tower. It's unknown how far along his script for The Mist is or if it's possibly already done, and Warner Bros. (the studio producing the project) has not publicly targeted a production schedule or a release date.

It should go without saying that Mike Flanagan's The Mist is a project that I'll be keeping an extremely close eye on in the coming weeks/months/years, so be on the lookout for more updates about the developing film here on The King Beat.

A Few Observations About Stand By Me's Box Office History

This past weekend, Stand By Me was given a theatrical re-release in celebration of the classic film's 40th anniversary, and to be perfectly honest, it ended up not getting much attention. The beloved Stephen King adaptation finished outside the Top 10, landing in 14th place after earning $447,873 from 624 domestic locations. The ticket sales didn't make too much of a dent in the movie's overall box office legacy (not adjusted for inflation, it has made $52. 7 million on the big screen domestically)... but it did lead me to note some fun facts about its original debut in the summer of 1986.

In the run-up to its original theatrical release, mentions of Stephen King's name in the marketing was kept to a minimum, as there was fear that the author's close association with the horror genre would confuse audiences, and the film's success was built on word of mouth. In early August 1986, the box office was being topped by titles like James Cameron's Aliens and David Cronenberg's The Fly, and Stand By Me was initially only released in 16 theaters (per The Numbers) – but after a couple of weeks of hype, it arrived in 745 theaters on August 22, and it ended up staying in/around the Top 10 through the rest of the year – a feat that is totally foreign to the way that the industry operates today.

Stand By Me's original theatrical release ended up running through the end of January 1987, and while its box office numbers don't look particularly gaudy by today's standards, there's something heartening about audiences of the era instantly recognizing its power and laying the foundation for the remarkable legacy that the film is known for today.

Quick Thoughts About Wil Wheaton's New Audiobook Reading Of Stephen King's 'The Body'

Staying on the subject of Stand By Me, the 40th anniversary of the Rob Reiner movie was also celebrated with another special release in recent weeks: a new audiobook recording of Stephen King's novella "The Body" read by Wil Wheaton. At the time that this feature is being published, I'm admittedly only partially through my first listen, but from what I've listened to so far, it's most certainly worth a purchase.

There is obviously something inherently special about the first person perspective being read by the big screen's Gordie LaChance all grown up, but that doesn't prove to be the only hook. While I can't say that Wheaton does the best Mainer accent I've ever heard, he is successful in imbuing the different characters with their special personalities (his impression of Teddy DuChamp's screeching laugh is particularly fun), and there is a beautiful reverence that can be felt for the material that Wheaton is perfect to provide: there is an important wistfulness of the narrator looking back on the remarkable adventure he embarked on when he was just 12-years-old, and you can feel the actor doing that in his reading, with the basis being his experience on the set of Stand By Me.

That brings us to the conclusion of this week's edition of The King Beat, but those of you who need a constant flow a Stephen King in your life need not fret: I'll be back here on CinemaBlend next Thursday with another new feature analyzing the latest developments concerning the author's books and film/TV projects. In the meantime, you can learn all about the long history of King on screen via my series Adapting Stephen King.