Stephen King’s Most Anticipated Movie Adaptation Gets Terrible News
It seems like there are roughly one million Stephen King adaptations in development at any given time, but some get more hype from horror fans than others. One particularly anticipated upcoming King film was the Scott Derrickson-helmed adaptation of The Breathing Method, but the project recently got some crushing news. In an interview with Cinemablend, Derrickson himself said that he is no longer involved in the adaptation and that he isn’t sure if it’s even in development.
This is sad news for Stephen King fans and horror fans alike, as Derrickson’s version of The Breathing Method would have undoubtedly been a treat. Derrickson did a pretty good job adapting The Black Phone, a book by King’s son, Joe Hill. Maybe Derrickson will get a crack at a King adaption in the future.
An adaptation of The Breathing Method by Stephen King has been in development for years, and now even the author isn’t sure if it’s still happening.
Stephen King’s The Breathing Method was published way back in 1982 as one of four stories in the Different Seasons collection. The story has a layered narrative, with the narrator being a lawyer invited to an exclusive men’s club where the dues are paid by telling stories. The man hears a story told by a physician who attempted to help a pregnant woman through labor through a special method.
Interestingly, Stephen King’s The Breathing Method is the only story from the Different Seasons collection that hasn’t been adapted for the screen yet, making the development limbo for the project even more baffling. The other three adaptations made from the stories in Different Seasons include Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption, Rob Reiner’s Stand By Me, and Bryan Singer’s Apt Pupil. With The Breathing Method being around for decades now, it is pretty confusing that not one person can get it to the screen.
The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me are easily considered amongst the best Stephen King adaptations of all time, so you’d think studios would be chomping at the bit to get The Breathing Method made. The Derrickson-directed and Scott Teems-penned adaptation of the story has been in the works since 2012, but it hit some roadblocks.
The Breathing Method is from the same Stephen King collection as The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me.
Part of the problem is that the film was in the hands of The Weinstein Company at one point, and when the company filed bankruptcy in the wake of Weinstein’s scandals, the adaptation lost some steam.
Still, both Teems and Derrickson were motivated to bring Stephen King’s The Breathing Method to screen just last year, but things have changed since then. Perhaps someone will be able to get this movie back on its feet at some point, but it looks like Derrickson won’t be in the director’s chair if it does happen.
While it may be a while before we see an on-screen version of Stephen King’s The Breathing Method, plenty of other King adaptations are on the way.
However, that doesn’t mean Derrickson isn’t eager to bring some of King’s works to life, as he also told Cinemablend he would love to try to make his version of The Stand, saying, “I still think that The Stand has not gotten the treatment that it deserves,” adding, ” I do think it’s his best book.”
While it may be a while before we see an on-screen version of Stephen King’s The Breathing Method, plenty of other King adaptations are on the way. The latest is Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, which you can stream on Paramount+ today. Mike Flanagan will also be directing an upcoming The Life of Chuck film starring Tom Hiddleston and Mark Hamill.
