The Talisman fantasy novel written by legendary literary master Stephen King and Peter Straub, which was published in 1984, is finally going to be made into a long-awaited movie 35 years later.
The story of Jack Sawyer, a twelve year boy who sets out on a journey into a different universe so he can discover a miracle cure for his dying mother reminds us of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia book The Magician’s Nephew where another boy crosses into a different universe only to discover later on that he can find a magic apple that can cure his dying mother. In The Talisman, the magic object meant to save Jack Sawyer’s mother is a crystal talisman.
The reference to parallel universes is one of Stephen King’s main themes throughout his books. It is hard not to notice a connection to The Dark Tower. In fact, The Talisman’s sequel, Black House points out that the Territories are similar to the All-World.
The journey that Jack Sawyer undertakes befalls both on the American landscape and on what the book refers to as “the Territories”, a smaller-size equivalent of American regions. Interestingly enough, most people in Jack’s world are paralleled by so-called twins in “the Territories”. Jack’s twin has died in “the Territories”, making Jack’s journey travel in the alternative universe possible.
The werewolves in the book are named Wolfs and have inhabited “the Territories” for decades. One of the significant characters is a sixteen-year-old Wolf who becomes Jack’s main ally in his quest. Jack’s adventure is not uncomplicated, as he is often faced with life-threatening situations which he ultimately manages to elude while achieving wisdom.
Stephen Spielberg Has Owned the Rights to The Talisman for a Very Long Time
Rumors about turning The Talisman into a movie have long prevailed. Steven Spielberg himself has previously expressed an interest in directing a film version of The Talisman for a while now. Universal studios had actually acquired the rights but the movie has never been concluded. That will soon change.
Finally, director Mike Barker, known for shows like The Handmaid’s Tale and a few episodes of Fargo and Outlander, to name just a few, has committed to the mission of directing The Talisman. The script is written by Chris Sparling.
At this time, there is no decisive information about the date The Talisman will actually be released. However, there are a lot of other Stephen King projects to look forward to in the meantime. Pet Sematary, It: Chapter 2 and Doctor Sleep are all getting closer and closer to completion.
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