It’s difficult to discuss modern-day horror without the name Jason Blum coming up. After breaking out with Paranormal Activity, the producer has gone on to have a hand in other hits like Insidious, Sinister, as well as the upcoming eco-terror film The Bay. Now he’s set to collaborate with one of the biggest icons in the genre.
Variety reports that Universal Pictures is looking to bring together Blum with the director Peter Cornwell, who gave us The Haunting in Connecticut, on a new horror fantasy film titled Mercy. Based on Stephen King‘s short story Gramma, a script is already completed by Matt Greenberg (a regular in the horror genre, giving us 1408, as well as an upcoming Pet Sematary remake) and A.I. and Jayne Mansfield’s Car star Frances O’Connor is already set to lead.
Showing up in King’s 1985 short story collection Skeleton Crew and already adapted the next year with an episode of The New Twilight Zone, the film will follow a single mother, played by O’Connor, who takes her two young boys to help out their grandmother when, of course, things go awry. The grandmother is actually a (spoiler!) witch and all hell breaks loose. Set to be yet another low-budget offering from Blum, one can see how this premise could strike gold for the demographic that clearly loves his work.
Are you looking forward to Blum taking on Stephen King?