An adaptation of Stephen King’s hugely popular first fantasy book has been rescued by A24 as a TV show

Stephen King’s first fantasy book, Fairy Tale, is being adapted as a TV show by A24. 

Per Deadline, the book was initially going to be a feature film from Universal, but, since the novel runs over 600 pages, it was simply too much for one movie, so the studio let it go. A24 now has plans to turn it into a 10-episode series, thanks to executive producer Peter Rice reassembling the project with the new studio. 

Bourne director Paul Greengrass was going to direct the movie, and the report indicates that he’ll still be heavily involved with the TV show. He and showrunner J.H. Wyman (Fringe, Almost Human) will expand on the script. Executive producers are Greengrass, Wyman, King himself, and Rice, with Greengrass also expected to be directing, though the deal isn’t closed yet. 

The novel was published in 2022 and follows teenage boy Charlie Reade, who gains access to a hidden alternate world and joins an epic battle between good and evil. It’s the first time horror maestro King has ventured into the fantasy genre, and it hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list. 

If you’re in the mood for more King adaptations, though, there are plenty to choose from. Just recently we’ve had Salem’s Lot, an adaptation of King’s vampire novel, and Mike Flanagan is working on a film based on King’s novella The Life of Chuck. “Four days in, I knew that there was something magical happening,” Flanagan has said of the movie, which stars Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Karen Gillan, Chiwetel Ejifor, and more. 

While you wait for the Fairy Tale TV show, check out our guide to all the upcoming TV shows of this year and beyond to fill out your watchlist.