MERCY -- we have a problem

That sinking feeling when what was an interesting movie begins to slide, and then drag, and then sink.  That's the feeling I had watching Mercy, which is based on Stephen King's short story, Gramma.

What is an interesting short read, is a painful long watch.  Simpy, this is a movie that needs -- BEGS -- for an editor.  Because somewhere in all this mess is probably a good movie.  But what comes to screen is not enjoyable.  The music is good.  The acting is pretty good.  But the dialogue is belabored, and the scenes ramble on so long they fail to scare.  No quick shots.  No suspense.  Simply put, the movie commits the deep sin of boring the audience.

There are elements that are just hokey.  Throwing a flower at gramma causes her face to burn.  Yeah, whatever.  This is starting to feel like kids telling a story. "My gramma is a witch.  And if you throw a flower at her, her face will burn.  But it has to be a verbena flower."  Say, very nicely to the child, "Oh really."  The child is excited someone believes them.  "Yeah.  Then a piece of wood came from the wood chipper and stabbed my brother in the stomach."  "wow, that must have been something," you say to the kid.  "Yeah, and we were about to put the weeping book inside the wood chipper. . ." pat the kid on the head an ignore them.

Whatever, let the Langoliers have this movie for dinner.

Speaking of the Langoliers, I think the special effects are just about as good as  that mini-series.

One nice touch: The R.L. Flagg home of the aged.

Mercy Trailer

Stephen King Movies In Production

image credit: fanpop.com/clubs/stephen-kings-it

Den Of Geekhas posted all of the King movies and TV shows in development!  The information below are from Den Of Geek -- but the full article is at their website.

These include:

11/22/63
J.J. Abram's Bad Robot production company has acquired the rights to adapt this novel into a TV show. Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) was working on the script, but he dropped out over disagreements on the direction the show should take. Bummer.

Ayana
NBC wants to turn this into a TV show. Chris Sparling (Buried) is writing the pilot. Ben Haber (Across the Universe) is set to produce, while Jordan Kerner (Less Than Zero) will executive produce. No director or cast have been announced at this time.

Big Driver
Lifetime recently announced it would adapt King's novella of the same name, starring Mario Bello (Prime Suspect), rock legend Joan Jett, and Olympia Dukakis (Sinatra). Richard Christian Matheson (Masters of Horror) is penning the adaptation and Mikael Salomon (Drew Peterson: Untouchable) is directing.

The Breathing Method

For now, Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity) is producing a feature film, but has yet to set it up at Universal. Scott Derrickson (Doctor Strange) is set to direct.  Of course, now that Derrickson has been chosen to direct Doctor Strange, this film will most likely go on the back burner...

Cell

Eli Roth (Hostel) talked about adapting this novel into a feature film a few years back, but that didn't happen. Instead, it's currently in production eyeing a 2015 release. It stars John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Isabelle Fuhrman, and Owen Teague. The film will be directed by Todd "Kip" Williams (Paranormal Activity 2), with King and Adam Alleca (Last House on the Left remake) writing the screenplay.

Children of the Corn

Although there have been nine films already, Warner Bros. wants to make another. Darren Lynn Bousman (Saw 2) will reportedly direct with Jon Bokenkamp (The Blacklist) writing the script.

Creepshow 4

The rumor is Warner Bros. is interested in making another sequel or a possible remake. It would be interesting to see them tap someone like Ti West (V/H/S) to direct.

The Dark Tower

Now it looks like Russell Crowe (A Beautiful Mind) might play the role of Roland along with Idris Elba (Pacific Rim) in an unspecified role. Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) has also met with Howard about a part. Writer Akiva Goldsman and producer Brian Grazen, both of A Beautiful Mind fame, are also attached to move this adaptation along.  . . . Now it's rumored that Media Rights Capital will produce the film. Who knows anymore.

Firestarter

Universal and the Dino De Laurentiis Co. will produce a new adaptation of Firestarter. Mark L. Smith (Vacancy) will write the screenplay. The idea is to give the film more edge than the original in an attempt to create a potential franchise. We wouldn't mind a Stephen King movie franchise about a secret organization that investigates the paranormal and does evil shit with it.

Gerald's Game

Mike Flanagan (Oculus) is at the helm of this adaptation, co-writing the script with Jeff Howard (Oculus). Intrepid Pictures will produce. The film will release sometime in 2015.

A Good Marriage

Peter Askin (Trumbo) will direct a screenplay written by King himself. Joan Allen (The Contender), Kristen Connolly (House of Cards), and Stephen Lang (Avatar) star. The film is planned for an October release.

Grand Central

The TV show comes from the former Dead Zone writing team Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn, and is in development at ABC for a potential summer straight-to-series order. 

IT

Being split into two parts (I'm guessing so that the film makers can tell both the children and adult stories as accurately as possible), Cary Fukunaga (True Detective) will direct. Fukunaga will also co-write with Chase Palmer (Neo-Noir) and David Kajganich (The Invasion). The film will be produced by New Line Cinema.

Joyland

Tate Taylor (Winter's Bone) is directing and adapting the screenplay. Wyolah Films is producing. Aiming for a 2015 release, the film is still in pre-production.

Lisey's Story

Josh Boone (The Fault in Our Stars) is attached to write and direct the feature film, which is slated for a 2015 release.

The Long Walk

Frank Darabont, super frequent King collaborator, has secured the rights and is planning a low-budget film. This has the potential to be a home run. Fun fact: this was the first novel King ever wrote, but he failed to publish until many years later.

Mercy

Frances O'Connor (Mr Selfridge), Mark Duplass (The Mindy Project), Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story), Joel Courtney (Super 8), and Chandler Riggs (The Walking Dead) are set to star. Peter Cornwell (The Haunting in Connecticut) will direct from a screenplay by King. The film is slated for later this year.

The Overlook Hotel

Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead) is making this prequel for Warner Bros. and Mythology Entertainment. 

Pet Sematary

David Kajganich (The Invasion) wrote the first draft of a screenplay before Paramount turned writing duties to Matthew Greenberg (1408). Producers Lorenzo Di Bonaventura (Transformers) and Steven Schneider (Paranormal Activity) are on board to guide the project.

Rose Madder

Naomi Sheridan (In America) is working on the screenplay. 

The Shop

Charlie McGee will be back, once again running from an even more powerful Shop. Luckily, she'll have a guy named Henry Talbot, a former Shop employee, to guide her through her life as a fugitive. The project is written by Robbie Thompson (Supernatural) and produced by James Middleton (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles), Jaime Paglia (Eureka) and Thompson.

The Stand

Josh Boone is directing and writing this one, too. Nat Wolff (The Fault in Our Stars), who has already worked with Boone, is rumored to be in the cast. The film would be a 3-hour movie adaptation -- plenty of room, but it probably won't be as expansive as the 1994 TV series. 

The Talisman

This adaptation has been in development hell for quite some time. Steven Spielberg was attached to produce a TV series at some point, but that fell through back in 2006. Frank Marshall (Raiders of the Lost Ark) is now trying to turn this novel into a feature film. 

The Ten O'Clock People

The film adaptation should be interesting. Tom Holland (Fright Night) is directing and writing the screenplay. Jay Baruchel (This Is The End) and Julie Browen star. Kathy Bates (Misery) and King himself are also rumored to appear. This film is slated for a 2015 release.

The full article is at: denofgeek

Official Synopsis For MERCY

Universal has released an official synopsis of MERCY:

Based on a short story by Stephen King, Mercy tells the tale of two young boys (The Walking Dead’s Chandler Riggs and Super 8’s Joel Courtney) who move with their mother to take care of their dying grandmother at her decrepit farmhouse. When they suspect that the elderly woman they love has encountered a dark spirit, they fear she might not be the only one who won’t make it through the summer alive. 

Once George (Riggs) and Buddy McCoy (Courtney) arrive at their Gramma Mercy’s (Shirley Knight), what they find inside her 150-year-old home is nothing short of terrifying. As the brothers experience deeply disturbing phenomena they believe to be the work of an ancient witch, they must fight for their lives and overcome the evil forces threatening their family. Directed by Peter Cornwell (The Haunting in Connecticut), Mercy is produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse (Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Sinister), McG (Terminator Salvation, Charlie’s Angels) and Mary Viola (Brooklyn’s Finest, We Are Marshall) of Wonderland Sound and Vision.

Pictures From The MERCY Set

These are pictures from the set of MERCY, posted at www.facebook.com/Blumhouse.  

Mercy is the adaptation of King's short story Gramma. The story follows two young boys who go with their single mother to take care of their elderly, senile grandmother named Mercy, only to discover she's a witch who made a pact with a dark force many years before.  Fear not, this is no Hanel and Gretel Witch hunter stuff.

Director Peter Cornwell on the set of MERCY.

Jason Blum and Joel Courtney lean on a car together between takes on the set of MERCY.

Jason Blum with Mercy actors Joel Courtney and Chandler Riggs.
On Day 2 of the shoot.

Mark Duplass Signs On To MERCY

deadline.com posted that Mark Duplass, who recently appeared in ZERO DARK THIRTY, has signed on for the film adaptation of Stephen King's short story, GRAMMA, renamed MERCY for the big screen.

Chandler Riggs Joins MERCY Cast

EW.com has some news about the upcoming Stephen King film "Mercy."  Mercy is an adaptation of the King short story GRAMMA.

From EW:

Child stars Chandler Riggs and Joel Courtney will play brothers whose grandmother has evil powers in the Stephen King thriller adaptation Mercy. Riggs currently stars on AMC’s The Walking Dead as the son of Sheriff Rick Grimes; Courtney appeared in J.J. Abrams’s Super 8.