Yo, I hate to say it, but summer is almost over. RIP. But hey! Fall is right around the corner, with all of the orange leaves and cozy sweaters that go along with it. Oh, and don’t forget the campfire GHOST STORIES and bad Halloween movies! (Haunted Ouija boards, anybody?)
Fortunately, Lifetime is set to prep you for all of fall’s creepy, dark nights and the nefarious things that happen after dark in the woods. They are adapting the Stephen King (master of all things creepy) short story “Big Driver” for a special TV movie to premiere on October 18th.
Bello, ready for intense chase scenes in murder-y forests
Starring Maria Bello as a mystery author, the story follows her after she survives a murderous attack and her subsequent revenge on those that harmed her.
Surprise bonus: Joan Jett is also slated to co-star, though her role in the horror has yet to be revealed. Olympia Dukakis, who has been in almost every movie ever (seriously, check out her IMDB) is also cast in a mystery role.
I admit that I have not read the original short story, but a quick glance over a Wikipedia summary revealed some cursory information. Will the movie continue to the trope of strong female characters being sexually assaulted? Or will it subvert it? The same question stands for the accusation of “asking for it” – a primary reason the protagonist does not report her rape and attempted murder to the police. Will it play into the expecting hands of American media, or decry the way we usually see assault survivors?
Variety notes that this is the first time a “femme-focused cabler has tackled material from the famed horror master” – maybe this is just the kind of focus needed to bring the story out of sexist tropes and into a bangin’, woman-empowered film!
Have you read the original? Leave your take on the story in the comments!
Photos via nndb, JamBase, fulldarknostarsbook.com, theguardian.
