I did not see this coming, but I love it. Lifetime Channel, which markets itself as a “female-focused entertainment destination,” has announced an upcoming Lifetime Original Movie based on a Stephen King novella. Yes, Lifetime, the home of Army Wives, but also the home of upcoming dystopian series The Lottery. Well done, Lifetime, well done.
Starring Maria Bello, set in New England, shooting the summer in Halifax (say “Hi” to the Haven gang!) and airing this fall, it may or may not be horror, but it will be scary, so we’re definitely In.
ORIGINAL MOVIE BIG DRIVER, BASED ON STEPHEN KING NOVELLA, COMES TO LIFETIME HEADLINED BY GOLDEN GLOBE® NOMINEE MARIA BELLO, ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER OLYMPIA DUKAKIS AND GRAMMY® NOMINEE JOAN JETT
Project Marks First Collaboration between King and Lifetime
LOS ANGELES (June 24, 2014) – From best-selling author and master of suspense Stephen King, comes the Lifetime Original Movie Big Driver, starring Golden Globe nominee Maria Bello (A History of Violence, McFarland), Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis (Sex & Violence, Steel Magnolias), Grammy nominee Joan Jett and Will Harris (Sky High). Set to premiere this fall, Big Driver was first published as a novella within King’s critically-acclaimed collection Full Dark, No Stars, and tells the story of a young novelist hell bent on revenge after the core of her psyche is broken following a brutal crime. The film also marks Lifetime’s first collaboration with America’s foremost horror authority and begins production in Halifax, Nova Scotia, this summer.
In Big Driver, Tess Thorne (Bello), a famous and revered mystery and thriller writer, faces a long drive home following a book signing engagement. Prompted to take a shortcut at the suggestion of the event’s planner, Ramona, Tess sets out to return to her house. But while driving on a lonely stretch of New England road, her tire blows out, leaving her stranded. Relieved when another driver (Harris) stops and offers assistance, Tess quickly discovers her savior is actually her assailant, a serial killer who repeatedly assaults her. Left for dead in a drainage pipe to rot with the bodies of his other victims, Tess escapes and makes her way safely home. With her fragile mind beginning to unravel, she is determined to find her rapist and seek revenge, as payback is the only thing holding her together. Dukakis will portray Doreen, while Jett will play Betsy Neal.
Residing in Maine, New York Times bestselling author Stephen King is known for tapping into various genres, including horror, fantasy, science fiction, drama, gothic, genre fiction, dark fantasy and post-apocalyptic fiction for his work. He has written more than 50 novels and hundreds of short stories, many of which have been adapted into feature films, including Frank Darabont’s Academy Award nominated The Shawshank Redemption, with Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins, and The Green Mile, starring Tom Hanks; the Stanley Kubrick classic The Shining, with Jack Nicholson; Stand by Me, directed by Rob Reiner and starring River Phoenix, Kiefer Sutherland, Jerry O’Connell, Corey Feldman and Wil Wheaton; and Firestarter, featuring Drew Barrymore. Other works based on his stories include the television series Under the Dome, as well as numerous top-selling comic books, including The Stand and the Dark Tower series. His novels have sold more than 350 million copies worldwide and have received a multitude of awards, including The Bram Stoker Award, Los Angeles Times Book Prize, National Book Award, National Magazine Award and World Fantasy Award.
Produced by Ostar Productions, Big Driver is executive produced by Bill Haber (The Trip to Bountiful) and Jeffrey Hayes (A Day Late and A Dollar Short). The screenplay adaptation by Richard Christian Matheson (Masters of Horror, Happy Face Killer) will be directed by Mikael Salomon (Drew Peterson: Untouchable).
ABOUT LIFETIME
Lifetime is a premier female-focused entertainment destination dedicated to offering the highest quality original programming spanning scripted series, non-fiction series and movies. As a result of the network’s aggressive programming strategy that has doubled the hours of its original programming, 2013 marked Lifetime’s second straight year of growth among Total Viewers. Lifetime Television®, LMN®, Lifetime Real Women® and Lifetime Digital™ are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LL0C, a subsidiary of A+E Networks. A+E Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation.
