The Stephen King Story That Could Be Made Into A Great Psychological Thriller
Since Carrie was first made into a film in 1976, Stephen King has seen nearly 60 of his novels, novellas, and short stories adapted for the screen. The best-selling author has a rather impressive body of work, with 65 novels and more than 200 short stories written to date. Though many of the films taken from King’s library of stories have been in the category of horror, an incredible but often overlooked masterpiece by the prolific author that is yet to be filmed is the 2010 novella Blockade Billy.
Blockade Billy
Blockade Billy combines two of what Stephen King knows best, baseball and suspense. The story begins inside a nursing home as a retired baseball player spins a yarn to King about the time he spent as a third base coach for the New Jersey Titans baseball team in 1957. The first-person account given by George “Granny” Grantham begins at the start of the baseball season, which finds the Titans without their primary catcher or the reserve.
Middle America Ball Game
As the Stephen King story unfolds, it finds the Titans being forced to draw up talent from the minor leagues and introduces an Iowa farm boy named William “Billy” Blakely. Billy is quickly identified as someone with a bit of a simple mind and engages in some pretty odd behaviors that his coaches and teammates notice. But his talent behind the plate soon earns him the moniker Blockade Billy, making him soar in popularity amongst both his teammates and fans.
But Billy isn’t the dimwitted and likable character he is perceived to be. Stephen King’s Blockade Billy is really the story of a young man who is hiding a gruesome secret, signs of which are slowly revealed as the tale progresses until it reaches a tingling climax.
The Innocence Of Baseball Meets A Psychopath
Stephen King’s ability to create a story that combines the innocence of the golden era of America’s pastime with the mind of a psychopath is one that would translate to the small screen with great success. A limited series run of Blockade Billy could potentially draw in fans of both King and the sport itself if it were created properly.
Major League Cameos
Baseball films have long used real major league players in bit parts, which would add to both the authenticity and the fun of this project. Stephen King’s story provides an easy enough setup, as the vast majority of it takes place on or near a ball diamond in the big leagues. Transforming a modern-day ballpark into a midcentury one, complete with some of today’s major leaguers playing Blockade Billy’s teammates, would be a dream come true for any fan of the sport.
The Red Sox Are The Greatest Baseball Team Of All Time
A lifelong Boston Red Sox fan, Stephen King would no doubt cast some of his favorite players into Blockade Billy. Imagine former shortstop Nomar Garciaparra as a base coach or David Price on the mound as the Titan’s star pitcher. As King himself likes to cameo in his adapted works, throwing the author into the announcer’s booth or behind the plate as an umpire would be icing on the cake.
Field Of Nightmares
A limited series version of Blockade Billy could work to combine the innocence of baseball films like Field of Dreams or The Natural with the sinister psyche of a killer that only Stephen King could contrive. Developing the novella for the small screen would be a far cry from the vampires, killer clowns, and other horrors attributed to King-based films, but the potential for cinematic greatness is certainly there, even in the absence of otherworldly beings. As baseball’s opening day quickly approaches, fans of both the sport and of King’s works have something to dream about.
