As production resumes on numerous shows and movies amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some are facing setbacks and challenges while trying to maintain a safe set. Now Variety is reporting that several big shows filming in British Columbia, Canada–including Riverdale and Batwoman–have had their productions halted due to a delay in COVID-19 test results being returned.
Production had resumed on both shows, Variety’s sources report, but had to be shut because the lab that is overseeing coronavirus testing in the region has had to prioritize schools, which have reopened. Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl, which were meant to begin filming this week, have also had their production start dates pushed back.
This means that production will likely resume soon, assuming that tests come back negative, but the pandemic continues to present challenges to film crews. Recently, filming on The Batman was shut down after star Robert Pattinson tested positive for COVID-19–it has since resumed. Fargo season 4, meanwhile, has begun airing before the season finale has been shot, which is unusual.
As Variety notes, many other shows film in British Columbia, including Sony’s The Good Doctor and the Disney+ Mighty Ducks series. Their status is unknown at this point.
Riverdale is set to return to screens in January 2021, assuming production can begin again soon. Here’s everything we know about Season 5. Batwoman, meanwhile, will recast its lead role for season 2 after star Ruby Rose exited the show.
Paradox’s grand strategy game Crusader Kings 3 may be a lot to handle for new players, but what other game would deliver patch notes like “historical characters will no longer be their own parent,” or “children can no longer be educated by hardened criminals.” The game’s 1.1 patch is here and huge, offering cultural and historical corrections, bug fixes, and plenty of balancing tweaks.
Paradox’s highlights from the massive list of patch notes are as follows:
A host of bug fixes, including changes to character interactions and succession rules.
Corrections to the historical setup in many regions.
Key balance changes to many parts of the game, including succession rules, nation formation, and military management.
User interface tweaks including new siege views, a bookmark screen, and a general makeover.
Tougher Mongol invasions.
Improved AI decision making.
New abilities for modders.
Many of the changes made in patch 1.1 are historical and cultural fixes, with some of the notes containing a full history lesson in themselves. Others fix some frankly hilarious bugs in the game’s sprawling dynastic system, such as “people are now less eager to marry people they are terrified of,” or “if you instantly regret romancing someone the game will now accept that you’ve moved on.”
Paradox has also celebrated its first month of release by revealing some of its global statistics, including a grand total of 40,591,268 children born, 18,212,157 successful murder plots, and a whopping 1,543,790 prisoners cannibalized–including at least one Pope. That may explain why, as of patch 1.1, “the Pope can no longer publicly accept cannibalism.”
Crusader Kings 3 is available on PC, including support for Linux and Mac, and is included on Xbox Game Pass. GameSpot’s review of Crusader Kings 3 praised it for the depth of its generated stories, saying “strategy games can tell interesting stories as their empires rise and fall, but their procedural narratives are rarely as affecting and poignant as they are here.”
Ahead of No Time To Die’s release in November, the producers are launching a new James Bond podcast, and the first episode is out very soon.
The Official James Bond Podcast, as it’s called, premieres on September 30. The show promises “unrivalled behind-the-scenes access,” featuring interviews with 007 himself, Daniel Craig, as well as Rami Malek, who plays the main villain in the film.
Movie critic James King hosts the six-episode series, and in addition to Craig and Malek, the podcast will feature interviews with No Time To Die’s other stars, including Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Jeffrey Wright, Naomie Harris, Ana de Armas, Rory Kinnear, Billy Magnussen, director Cary Joji Fukunaga, and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, who wrote the haunting theme song for No Time To Die, will also appear on the podcast. What’s more, the podcast will host the world premiere of the movie’s score, which was composed by Hans Zimmer.
Here are the titles for the six episodes in The Official James Bond Podcast (via Collider).
Episode One: Bond in Context
Episode Two: Bond Around the World
Episode Three: A Name to Die For: Allies and Enemies of Bond
Episode Four: The Craft of Bond
Episode Five: Clothes, Tech and Cars
Episode Six: Being 007
The teaser for the James Bond podcast links to Apple Podcasts, but the series is also available on Spotify, among other places.
No Time To Die is scheduled to premiere in November 2020 in theatres. The film was originally expected to debut in April, but it was delayed due to COVID-19. For more on the next 007 film, check out everything we know about James Bond: No Time to Die.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons has released its latest update, taking the game to version 1.5.0. This update adds Halloween-themed gear to the game, including pumpkins to grow and new events.
Once you’ve downloaded the update, you’ll be able to buy pumpkins from Nook’s Cranny during the month of October–and all year round from Leif. These can be planted and grown for DIY projects, and they’ll let you kit your town out ahead of Halloween.
Throughout October, thanks to this update, you’ll also be able to purchase costumes from the Able Sisters and learn some new DIY projects. There will be special in-game celebrations on the night, and you’ll be visited by Jack, a mysterious pumpkin-headed character who you can ply with candy for unique rewards.
You’ll also receive two treats in the mail–a Mom’s Candle Set from your mom, and a Ring-Con from Nintendo, just like the one used for Ring Fit Adventure. Another part of this update is the addition of a dream list in the Dream Suite, so you can revisit the towns you’ve been to in dreams easily.
Another update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons will arrive in November, preparing the game for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
As another month ends, the list of bugs and fish you can catch is about to change, too–make sure that you grab your September fish and bugs before they’re gone.
Start thinking up your own Vault Hunter’s backstory: Borderlands is getting its own official TTRPG based on Tiny Tina’s favorite game, Bunkers & Badasses. The game is up for pre-order now, either as the sourcebook by itself, or a deluxe package of game board, screen, miniatures, a dice set, and more.
While Borderlands fans have been playing Bunkers and Badasses homebrew campaigns presumably since it was first introduced to the series, you can now play an official, Gearbox-sanctioned game of B&B. A blend of high fantasy and classic Borderlands, the game will see you exploring Pandora through a different lens.
The sourcebook includes Tiny Tina’s own Assault on Dragon Keep campaign for players who want to experience the Borderlands 2 DLC in actual tabletop form, as well as a one-shot called Marcus’ Quest For The Wizard’s Wand designed to get players and aspiring Bunker Masters accustomed to the rules. There’s also a new Tiny Tina-authored campaign called Butt Stallion’s Hunny Heist which is, in her own words, “about gettin smooches and blowin stuff up and talkin about feelings but mainly blowin stuff up.”
The sourcebook and deluxe package are available to pre-order now. The final release date hasn’t been announced, but pre-order emails suggest the game will be available in early 2021.
Microsoft’s pirate game Sea of Thieves has added new DLC that supports the Stand up to Cancer charity. The “Sails of Union” cosmetic pack is out now, and it includes a new cosmetic option for your ship’s sails.
As you can see in the trailer below, in the daytime, the Sails of Union show off the Stand up to Cancer’s arrow-themed logo, with a yellow background and small holes. At night, the sails take on a different look, with the moonlight streaming through the holes to give off a starry nightsky vibe.
The majority of the proceeds from the Sails of Union will go to Cancer Research UK in support of the Stand up to Cancer campaign, which helps support research toward finding a cure and other charitable efforts. 100% of proceeds from the Sails of Union made through the Microsoft Store outside North America will go to charity, while 75% of the purchase price on Steam will be given to the charity. For purchases made in the USA, the donations will go the US version of Stand up to Cancer. The campaign runs until November 6.
You can grab the DLC right now through the links below.
The PlayStation 5 is set to be one of the biggest gift items this holiday season, as it kicks off a new generation of gaming with exciting upcoming titles like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon’s Souls. Sony’s new console is definitely going to be at the top of many gamers’ wish lists, but they don’t need the new console to have a great time this holiday season. Thanks to games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Cyberpunk 2077, and Watch Dogs Legion offering free next-gen upgrades, gamers can still play some of this year’s biggest titles on PS4 and will be able to upgrade to the PS5 version for free once they have the new console. That makes this console launch particularly exciting, as no one is going to be left completely behind if they don’t have a PS5 come December. And that’s a good thing as the PS5 is sold out at all retailers–though you may still get lucky with a PS5 preorder before launch.
No matter who you’re shopping for, there are a ton of great games, accessories, and merch out there that would make any PlayStation fan happy. This holiday season is absolutely packed with huge PS4 and PS5 games, and there are plenty of new figures, art books, and more for gamers to add to their collection. Marquee titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Cyberpunk 2077, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla join the vast library of great PlayStation games along with gems from earlier this year like The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, and Final Fantasy VII Remake.
At the top of our list, of course, is this year’s brand-new PlayStation console: the PS5. Unless you already preordered the PS5 when listings first went live in mid-September, you may have a hard time getting your hands on the console in time for the holidays–all major retailers are currently sold out. Still, Sony has promised more restocks in the near future, so keep an eye on retailer listings (and our PS5 preorder guide) for a chance at buying the console.
Releasing November 12, the PS5 has a handful of exciting games coming to the platform at launch–such as Demon’s Souls, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Sackboy: A Big Adventure–and thankfully, it’ll be able to play the vast majority of PS4 games as well. In addition, many games are releasing on both PS4 and PS5 this holiday season, with most new PS4 games featuring free next-gen upgrades–that way, even if the person you’re shopping for doesn’t have a PS5 just yet, they can rest assured knowing they’ll be able to play their new games on it eventually. The age-old parental question, “Will your games work on this new console?” finally has a good answer–yes, mom, they will.
The standard PS5 console features a disc drive, but if they prefer to buy games digitally, the PS5 digital edition may be a better option. The digital-only version of the PS5 doesn’t feature a disc drive and costs $100 less. This means they won’t be able to buy physical games at Amazon, Best Buy, or anywhere else, but there are still gift cards for PlayStation Store credit, which your loved one can then use toward digital games. And though the PS5 digital edition lacks the 4K Blu-ray player of the standard model, streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video are expected to launch with the console, so your loved one won’t be without a deluge of options for movies and shows.
Like the standard PS5, it’s going to be difficult to find the PS5 Digital in stock this holiday season. But just like physical PS4 games, many digital games–like Cyberpunk 2077 and Watch Dogs Legion–come with free next-gen upgrades when you download and play them on the PS5. Of course, because there’s no disc drive, physical games won’t get a free upgrade on the PS5 Digital.
PS5 and PS4 games
It’s looking to be one of the biggest holiday seasons for games in quite a while. Highly anticipated games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Watch Dogs Legion are finally coming out, while first-party launch games like Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon’s Souls have spiked a huge amount of interest in the PlayStation 5. Even if you can’t snag a PS5 before Christmas, you can still buy your loved one PS4 games as they will still run on PS5 in the future (due to backwards-compatibility), and many new PS4 games come with a free next-gen upgrade as well. Note that some of the following games aren’t out yet (but will release in time for Christmas), so they haven’t been reviewed; however, we anticipate they’ll be some of the most wished-for games this year, so we’ve included them below.
If you’re unsure what games your loved one may want, then a PlayStation Store gift card is always a great option. They can spend it on a number of things, including PS4 or PS5 games, DLC, and even movies. And if they have a digital-only PS5, a gift card is an even better choice. You can buy PlayStation Store gift cards at Amazon and put up to $100 on one. However, it’s actually a digital code you’ll receive via email, and you can print that off and put it in a card (or however you prefer to gift it).
PlayStation Plus grants PS4 and PS5 users access to online multiplayer as well as free monthly games. A new added benefit that’s coming with PS5 is a sizable library of PS4 games that PS Plus members can play for free on the new console. The PlayStation Plus Collection includes first-party games like God of War, Bloodborne, and Uncharted 4 as well as third-party titles like Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7, and Persona 5, so it offers a lot of great games to get started with.
A 12-month PS Plus membership costs $60 a year and makes a great gift for any PlayStation user, especially since memberships stack–even if they’re a current subscriber, they’ll be able to instantly add 12 more months to their membership.
The DualSense wireless controller is what they’ll need to play PS5 games–the DualShock 4 is only compatible with PS4 games. Each PS5 comes with a DualSense controller, but if they want to play split-screen multiplayer or any other local co-op game, they’ll need another one of these next-gen controllers. The controller has adaptive triggers and haptic feedback that Sony says can replicate the feeling of pulling a bowstring back, while other developers have said they’re using it to emulate the feeling of a gun locking up and more.
Sony has touted the 3D audio capabilities of the PS5, and while it’s unclear if all headsets will be able to enjoy its 3D audio tech, the company is releasing a headset of its own. The Pulse 3D wireless headset launches alongside the PS5, and though we haven’t tested it for ourselves, it’s likely to take full advantage of the PS5’s proprietary audio technology.
The Pulse 3D wireless headset was the first official PS5 accessory to sell out, but it may be restocked before the holidays. See our guide to the best PS5 gaming headsets for more options.
The SteelSeries Arctis 1 wireless is one of the best PS5 gaming headsets you can buy right now, as it’s affordable, comfortable, and versatile. Not only does it work with the PS5, but it also comes with everything you need to work with all major gaming platforms–that includes the Nintendo Switch in handheld mode as well as the Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One if you buy the SteelSeries Arctis 1 for Xbox.
If you’re shopping for someone who’s a movie and TV buff, then the PS5 media remote is a must-have. The DualSense controller will turn off to save battery after a period of time, and on top of that, it’s easy to accidentally bump the DualSense and have your movie pause, fast-forward, or even turn off. With the PS5 media remote, they can turn off their DualSense and enjoy movies and shows as if they were using a streaming-focused device or dedicated Blu-ray player. The convenience is hard to deny.
For those who won’t be getting a PS5 this holiday, this media remote from PDP is a great option for the PS4. Like the PS5 media remote, you’re able to use this without a controller turned on, making it easy to pause, fast-forward, and everything in between.
The PS5 HD Camera is a useful accessory for those who like to stream their gameplay on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. It lets the user add a blip of their face to all of their gameplay, letting their audience see their reactions in real time. If your loved one enjoys broadcasting their livestreams and entertaining, then this is a great accessory to throw under the tree.
With a new gaming generation upon us, it’s an excellent time to invest in a specialty controller like a racing wheel. Racing fans will love the Logitech G923 racing wheel, which features TrueForce feedback that makes it feel more accurate to the real thing–as real as it can get from the comfort of your couch, at least. The PS5 will have a ton of great racing games like Gran Turismo 7 and Dirt 5, so the Logitech G923 racing wheel is a fantastic gift for anyone who has a need for speed.
A fight stick makes an awesome gift for fans of fighting games like Tekken and Dragon Ball FighterZ. Thankfully, all specialty accessories like fight sticks will work with the PS5 as well as the PS4. And when it comes to arcade sticks, no company does it better than Victrix. Its Victrix Pro FS fight stick is made of aluminum, giving it a solid and sturdy feel. The metal joystick feels great and the buttons are fast and responsive, though your fighting game fan can customize the entirety of the stick and replace the parts as they wish. There are also handles, cable organizers, and more that make this one heck of a package.
Thankfully, the PS5 is backwards-compatible with the majority of the PS4’s library, and gamers can use PS4-specific controllers with these games on the new console. The DualShock 4 is Sony’s official controller for the PS4, and thankfully, you can snag it for a pretty good price these days. It’s still an awesome controller that’s well worth owning, and a unique color could make a great gift for PS4 fans. It can also be used on PC via microUSB cable and on Bluetooth-enabled devices.
PlayStation art books
Sometimes a game is so good, you want to dive even deeper into its world, and an art book is a great way of doing so. Fortunately, Sony has a ton of them for its best games, and they make great gifts as well. These hardcover books are full of gorgeous art, in-depth information about the game’s world, and usually behind-the-scenes development details. If your loved one is a fan of any of the following PlayStation games, an art book will be the perfect addition to their collection.
The PS4’s Spider-Man game is an excellent one, and if you’re looking for a gift for a wall-crawling fan, then this Spider-Man statue is an affordable figure that looks great. It stands at around 10 inches tall and is made of durable PVC plastic.
The newly released Bloodborne Funko Pop is equipped with a hunter’s favorite weapons: the Saw Cleaver and trusty Pistol. The tiny little figure also dons the iconic Hunter Garb clothing set and is ready to fight beasts that are hopefully as cute as he is.
Ghost of Tsushima’s Jin Sakai is a samurai and fashion icon, and his Funko Pop has him donning particularly fancy armor. Adorned with gold, it also looks like he’s just finished some business with the local invaders. The Funko Pop features blood spatter on his sword, face, and clothes.
This isn’t Norman Reedus’s first Funko Pop, but it’s definitely his best. Death Stranding protagonist Sam Porter Bridges’ Funko Pop is carrying a case that he’s ready to deliver, thanks to his BB and Odradek terrain scanner.
Ratchet and Clank fans will love this two-pack that comes with both characters. Ratchet looks great with his trusty wrench, but his friendly robot sidekick Clank really steals the show with this one.
Keanu Reeves and Cyberpunk 2077 have both captured the hearts of movie buffs and gamers these past few years, and in November, they’re coming together. Reeves plays Cyberpunk 2077’s Johnny Silverhand, an augmented rockstar who is going to help you on your mission in Night City. His Funko Pop features him wearing red-tinted aviators and packing dual pistols.
This fun PlayStation light is a great addition to any fan’s bedroom, living room, or any other part of the house that needs to let people know a gamer lives there. It’s powered by USB or three AAA batteries and has three modes: On, Color Phasing, and Music Reactive.
Staying hydrated is important, and this PlayStation water bottle features an awesome design that turns the PlayStation icons into somewhat of an optical illusion. The 16-ounce bottle is made of stainless steel and comes with two PlayStation-themed stickers.
These figures are capable of holding a controller when it’s not being used. The three characters featured are Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, and Sonic the Hedgehog, making them great for fans of these classic gaming icons. Each figure stands at about 8 inches tall.
God of War fans will love this collector’s box, which comes with a bunch of goodies that make perfect stocking stuffers. It includes a Kratos and Atreus mug, a God of War bottle opener, and a themed lanyard as well as a car magnet and fleece blanket.
Rings on your tables are the worst, so if you want to buy something for your loved one that can also save your furniture, then these PlayStation game coasters are a great gift for any fan. This particular set includes coasters that feature the cover art for Ridge Racer, Time Crisis, Tekken 3, and Tekken 2.
TeePublic has a large selection of T-shirts, and its PlayStation-themed ones are among the best. They cover everything from Sony’s early PlayStation years to the latest games and characters. The PlayStation All-Stars and neon PlayStation 1 T-shirts are our favorites, but there are plenty more options your PlayStation fan will be proud to wear.
T-shirts are great, but if you want something that’ll keep them warm during the holidays, then this hoodie is a great choice. It’s made of 50% cotton and 50% polyester and features an embroidered PlayStation logo on the left chest. It comes in sizes XS through 2XL.
This hat looks great and would make an excellent gift for under the tree or the top of your loved one’s stocking. It features a PlayStation logo situated next to a Since ’94 design, marking anyone who wears it as a PlayStation diehard.
This drawstring bag looks just like the original PlayStation console and gives that gamer in your life an excellent pouch for anything they may want to bring with them on the go. It’s made of durable canvas and has enough room to fit games, controllers, and other accessories.
This PlayStation controller pillow replicates the very first pad Sony ever made. It’s made of polyester and measures in at 15 inches by 10 inches. The PlayStation controller’s handles make it easy to wrap this pillow around the neck of its wearer, making it great for sitting in a chair or lying on the couch.
Plenty of popular TV shows have been rebooted in recent years, and The Office might be next. A new version of the show is reportedly in the planning stages, and now actor Rainn Wilson–who played the buffoon Dwight K. Schrute on the workplace comedy–has said he would be interested.
Speaking to Collider, Wilson said he would “love” to come back for a new version of The Office. In fact, he said he has already spoken with The Office’s US creator Greg Daniels about the idea.
“Maybe someday we’ll do something. It’s funny, I hear things like, ‘We can’t do anything because we ended this show perfectly, and we don’t wanna do anything else,'” Wilson said. “But then, someone will send some idea that’s just preposterous and I don’t know what to think. Hopefully, one day. The fans would really love it. That’s the thing that counts the most. The fans would really love to see those characters again and have an experience with them.”
While there are no official plans to reboot or revisit The Office yet, reports have suggested it will feature a new cast. As with other reboots, it seems possible that some of the legacy cast members could feature in cameo roles, but this is not confirmed.
Also in the interview, Wilson shared that one of his favorite scenes with Dwight was when he emotionally connected with Jim (John Krasinski) amidst his breakup with Angela (Angela Kinsey). You can watch the scene below.
“There’s a moment when [Dwight is] really emotional and Jim gives him some words of kindness and empathy, and then he doesn’t notice it but Jim has left,” Wilson said. “He reaches out and Jim’s not there and he looks around. To me, that moment perfectly encapsulated what we did on The Office. It’s a Chekhovian, priceless little human misconnection that was really special.”
Steve Carrell, who played Michael Scott on The Office, said in an interview that he thinks it’s a bad idea to bring back The Office. Not only should the show not come back, but it also might not work if it has a similar tone, he said.
“The climate’s different. I mean, the whole idea of that character, Michael Scott, so much of it was predicated on inappropriate behavior,” he said.
CD Projekt Red, the studio behind upcoming open-world RPG Cyberpunk 2077, has reportedly instituted a mandatory six-day work week that will be enforced until the launch of the game on November 19. Bloomberg reports that an employee, speaking under conditions of anonymity, has indicated that some staff have been working nights and weekends for over a year.
Additionally, Bloomberg states that, in an email, studio head Adam Badowski told the entire team that this was required to polish the game. “Starting today, the entire (development) studio is in overdrive,” the email reportedly reads. This means that developers are required to commit to a normal work week of five days, along with an additional paid day (required by Polish labor laws) on the weekend, bringing the work week to six days.
Badowski also reportedly addressed a previous position stated by the studio that mandatory overtime would not be part of Cyberpunk 2077 development process. “I take it upon myself to receive the full backlash for the decision,” he allegedly wrote.
“I know this is in direct opposition to what we’ve said about crunch. It’s also in direct opposition to what I personally grew to believe a while back–that crunch should never be the answer. But we’ve extended all other possible means of navigating the situation.”
Crunch in video game development has been a big area of concern and discussion lately. CDPR previously stated that it wanted to avoid situations where developers are asked to put in extended periods of overtime towards the end of a project.
Speaking to Kotaku in June 2019, CDPR boss Marcin Iwiński was asked if the studio’s employees could expect to have reasonable, eight-hour workdays while making the game. “We’ve committed to that already,” he replied.
In another interview from 2019, however, CDPR Krakow boss John Mamais said the studio does its best to limit crunch, but it isn’t always possible, indicating the no-crunch policy may not be as enshrined as previously suggested. “You sacrifice some things to do that and be part of [the development process]. There are a lot of people who come into the industry that are fresh; they don’t really understand what it takes to do it,” he said.
“So we get a lot of new guys coming in, and they go, ‘Oh god, this is like too much.’ But then we have other guys come in from Rockstar Games, and they’re like, ‘This is not even crunch!’ We’re doing the best we can to keep the work under control. But sometimes when you’re doing some big-ass game like this, it’s not always possible to do that. It takes really hard work to make it really awesome.”
As part of a press conference in January of 2020, the studio seemed to further qualify this promise. CEO Adam Kicinski was asked in a Q&A session whether the team would need to crunch to finish Cyberpunk 2077. “To some degree, yes–to be honest,” Kicinski said. “We try to limit crunch as much as possible, but it is the final stage. We try to be reasonable in this regard, but yes. Unfortunately.”
Crunch, and the resulting mental and physical burnout associated with it, is an ongoing issue, as are the ethical concerns that arise alongside them. These are all familiar to CDPR as, in 2014, it was accused of asking its developers to crunch for over year while working on The Witcher 3. At the time, the studio didn’t outright deny the accusations.
Cyberpunk 2077 is being developed by CD Projekt Red’s Krakow and Warsaw studios. Although the exact nature of the work arrangements isn’t clear, it’s likely the team is still working from home as part of the social distancing measures required to combat the spread of COVID-19.
GameSpot has reached out to CDPR for clarification and comment on the matter. At the time of publishing, it has not provided a statement.
Cyberpunk 2077’s release date has been set as November 19, following multiple delays. After the last delay, the studio committed to the current release date, saying it would not be delayed again. It will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and PC.
The well of Stephen King content to adapt has absolutely no risk of drying up. Actor Zack Efron has been pegged to star in the remake of 1984’s Firestarter, based on the King novel of the same name.
The story of a young girl named Charlie, played by a 9-year-old Drew Barrymore in the original film, who develops telepathic and pyrokinetic abilities, Firestarter skews more towards the sci-fi end of the spectrum in King’s work. It deals with shady government agencies, human experimentation — and of course, lots of mayhem and terror.
It’s unclear who exactly Efron has signed on to play, but a good guess would be the lead role of Andy McGee, Charlie’s father. In the novel, Andy has abilities of his own from time spent as a guinea pig in secret government experiments and can mentally manipulate and force the people around him to bend to his will.
Initially announced back in 2017, the Firestarter remake will be produced by horror juggernauts Blumhouse and Universal Pictures with Jason Blum, Akiva Goldsman signed on as producers, and Martha De Laurentiis, who worked as an associate producer on the 1984 version, as executive producer. It currently has no anticipated release date.
King’s massive novel The Stand is currently next up for the remake treatment with a new mini-series adaptation set to hit CBS All Access on December 17.
