According to Deadline, acclaimed horror author Stephen King’s most recently published novella titled If It Bleeds has already garnered three movie deals from three different studios. Consisting of four short stories, the novella was first published in April 2020 which you can now purchase by clicking here!
RELATED: Revival: Mike Flanagan Offers Update on His New Stephen King Film
Netflix in partnership with Blumhouse Productions and Emmy-winning creator Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story) has successfully acquired the film rights to Mr. Harrigan’s Phone which is the first short story in the novella. John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks) has also signed on to write and helm the film adaptation with Murphy, Jason Blum, and Carla Hacken serving as producers.
Described as in the same tone as Stand By Me, Mr. Harrigan’s Phone follows the story of a young boy in Maine as he befriends an old and retired billionaire named Mr. Harrigan, who first bonded together through an iPhone. When Mr. Harrigan dies, the teen puts the phone in his pal’s pocket before burial and when the lonely youth leaves his dead friend a message, he is shocked to get a return text from beyond the grave.
RELATED: The Stand Photos Reveal First Look at Star-Studded Cast
Meanwhile, the two other stories from the novella titled The Life of Chuck and Rat were optioned by Darren Aronofsky through his Protozoa banner and Ben Stiller, respectively. On top of starring, Stiller is also expected to produce and direct the Rat feature.
As for the novella’s titular short story, it centers around Holly Gibney of the Finders Keepers detective agency, who has been a popular recurring character throughout King’s novels including The Outsider and the Bill Hodges trilogy. Even though it still hasn’t been optioned by any streamers or networks, it is likely to be acquired by HBO especially given the premium network’s most recent limited series adaptation of The Outsider where it saw Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo portray the role of Holly Gibney.
