Stephen King 'Firestarter' Reboot: Zac Efron Arrives, Plot & More Updates

By Annie Dee

Fans rejoice! There are now more details about the upcoming reboot of the film "Firestarter."

While the details are not complete yet, some names that will play a part in the adaptation of the 1984 Stephen King novel have been revealed.

Zac Efron Lands New Role

Done are the days when fans just know that there would be another film adaptation of Stephen King's novel, "Firestarter," and nothing else.

Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, and Weed Road Productions have already made their first casting announcement for the film. One of them is Zac Efron, most notable for his "High School Musical" and "The Greatest Showman" performances.

According to Collider, the actor will be playing Andy McGree, who is the father of the main character, a young girl with pyrokinetic powers. The girl was abducted for her unique capabilities by a secret government agency so that her powers can be transformed into a weapon they can exploit.

Other casts would still be revealed down the road, but this might happen anytime now. The director and writer for the film have also been revealed. Keith Thomas from "The Vigil" would be directing the movie, which is penned by writer Scott Teems.

Teems is notable for the script of "Halloween Kills" and "Rectify."

The executive producers and producers have also been announced. Martha De Laurentis, the associate producer on the 1984 adaptation starring a young Drew Barrymore, will be the executive producer for the latest adapatation. Jason Blum, as well as Akiva Goldsman will be the producers.

What Is 'Firestarter' About?

Apart from it being a movie adaptation of the popular book, Thomas has, early on, set it out that the adaptation would be nowhere near the first movie done on the book.

"It's a new adaptation of the book," Thomas shared with Zavvi. "When [producer] Jason [Blum] pitched it to me it was exciting, as that's one of my favorite Stephen King novels, and whilst I really like the 1980s film, I felt we could do something new."

The director also said the movie will have everything horror and thriller fans are looking for, including "people's heads catching fire and their faces melting off, and a dad and daughter on the run trying to survive being chased in this heightened tense experience."

Stephen King's Input

King actually has input on this upcoming movie, which is quite surprising because in the past, the enigmatic author distanced himself from the already countless adaptations of his books.

This time, Thomas shared that King himself has approved him as the director and has expressed his happiness with the script.

"He's excited for it, he's there the whole way," Thomas added.

"Firestarter" is just one of King's works that is adapted to become a movie. In the past, there were "Pet Sematary," "In the Tall Glass," "Doctor Sleep" among others. "IT" is one of the most notable ones since its 2017 adaptation is now the highest-grossing horror movie of all time.

Release Date and Updates

The film has no definite release date yet. It is believed that it would be announced soon, however, so just stay tuned!