Stephen King’s Castle Rock Novella ‘Elevation’ Being Turned into a Film

Stephen King‘s works continue to be a hot commodity in Hollywood, and the latest adaptation on the menu is a feature film version of King’s novella Elevation. Published by Scribner in 2018 and a minor King work at only 144 pages long, it’s not a horror novel, but it’s worth noting here on Bloody Disgusting because it’s set in the fictional town of Castle Rock.

Speaking with Cinema Blend, Jack Bender (“Under the Dome,” “Mr. Mercedes”) revealed in a new interview that he’s headed to Castle Rock for this latest King adaptation.

“I’ve recently adapted a book of [King’s] called Elevation, which we’re going to make into a film,” Bender explains. “And I invented some stuff and added, and was nervous because he’d never read anything I’ve written, only directed and produced. And needless to say I was nervous about it, but he loved it. He’s very gracious, and he knows that when we make a TV show, there’s going to be stuff added stuff taken away; that’s just the way it goes.”

Bender continues, touching upon why he wanted to adapt Elevation, “It’s very out of Stephen King’s box of horror. It’s really about how we can all be better people. And it’s a wonderful story. It’s one of those little gems, and I felt that from when I first read it.”

Wikipedia explains the novella’s plot, “In Castle Rock, Maine, Scott Carey faces a mysterious illness which causes bizarre effects on his body and makes him rapidly lose weight, even if he appears healthy on the outside. While battling this disease with his trusted doctor, he also tries fixing a dire situation involving a lesbian couple trying to open a restaurant surrounded by a disapproving public.”

Castle Rock is a fictional town that many of King’s novels have visited, including The Dead Zone, Cujo and Needful Things. The town took center stage in Hulu’s short-lived series “Castle Rock,” which was cancelled by the streamer last year after just two seasons.