Stephen King’s The talisman is in development for the small screen. Weird stuff creators Duffer Brothers, Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television and Paramount Television Studios are adapting the book as a series for Netflix, sources close to the project confirmed for Deadline.
The talisman tells the story of Jack Sawyer, a 12-year-old boy who sets out on an epic journey to save his dying mother’s life. He is in search of the Talisman, a powerful relic that can not only heal his mother, but, as he learns, save the world. Sawyer’s journey crosses two realities: the America we know and his dangerous fantasy world twin, The Territories.
Weird stuff Executive writer-producer Curtis Gwinn will write and serve as the showrunner for the project. Netflix will co-produce in association with Amblin TV and Paramount TV Studios, we hear. Matt and Ross Duffer will serve as executive producers for Monkey Massacre Productions, along with Speilberg, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey for Amblin TV. King would also serve as an executive producer, along with Paramount Television. Todd Cohen will oversee the project for Amblin, along with Spielberg, Frank and Falvey.
Netflix declined to comment.
King owns the rights to display The talisman since 1982, two years before the book was published, but I never found a way to develop the property as a resource.
The talisman has been in development as a TNT miniseries, but has never been included in the series.
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to report the project.