Upcoming Remake Of 33-Year-Old Stephen King Sci-Fi Horror Adaptation He Disliked Gets Promising Update From Producer

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Roy Lee, a producer known for his work on Stephen King adaptations, recently shared exciting news about the upcoming remake of The Tommyknockers.

Stephen King’s science fiction novel, originally published in 1987, was adapted into a miniseries by ABC in 1993. However, King has often said he disliked the miniseries, feeling it looked low-budget. More than twenty years later, Universal Pictures announced a new version of The Tommyknockers, with Owen Lee, Larry Sanitsky, and James Wan, known for The Conjuring, producing.

It’s been quiet since the remake was first announced in 2018, but Lee recently gave an update to Cinemablend. He said that both The Tommyknockers and other Stephen King adaptations, like The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, are currently being worked on, though at different stages of the process.

How quickly a project moves into production largely depends on the quality of the script. The producer explained that while some scripts are excellent, others simply feel perfectly timed and appropriate for the moment.

Universal has received some scripts, and others are still being revised – some are on their second or third drafts. However, Lee didn’t say how developed the script for The Tommyknockers is in terms of pre-production.

We have several projects underway, each at a different stage. Their progress really depends on the quality of the script. When a project enters development, we order a script, and some turn out great, while others just aren’t quite right. You can’t predict how a script will be until it’s finished. So, these projects are all moving forward – some have been submitted, while others are still in the second or third draft. Basically, they’re all in the pipeline.

In Stephen King’s The Tommyknockers, the people of a quiet town begin to change after a writer named Bobbi Anderson unearths an alien spacecraft hidden in the woods.

Stephen King dislikes not only the miniseries adaptation of his work, but also the original novel itself. He’s explained that he was struggling with drug addiction while writing it, and while he enjoyed the core idea, he doesn’t believe the finished book was his best work.

The 1993 miniseries featured Marg Helgenberger (known for her role in CSI) as the main character, Bobbi Anderson. The cast also included well-known actors such as Jimmy Smits, E.G. Marshall, Joanna Cassidy, John Ashton, Allyce Beasley, Robert Carradine, Annie Corley, Cliff DeYoung, Traci Lords, Chuck Henry, Paul McIver, and Yvonne Lawley.

John Power directed the miniseries The Tommyknockers, with the screenplay and production handled by Lawrence D. Cohen, who also wrote Carrie. Sanitsky, an executive producer on the original series, is now producing a remake for Universal.

Stephen King himself didn’t like The Tommyknockers, and critics generally agreed, giving the miniseries poor reviews. It currently has a 35% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and viewers don’t rate it much higher, with a score of 39%.

Having successfully adapted numerous Stephen King works like It, It Chapter Two, Salem’s Lot, The Long Walk, Doctor Sleep, The Stand, and It: Welcome to Derry, Lee and Universal Pictures now have the opportunity to reimagine the science fiction novel, moving past the previous, less successful miniseries adaptation.

Movie and TV adaptations of Stephen King’s work continue to be announced, with several projects currently in development. These include versions of Carrie, Billy Summers, Mister Yummy, The Mist, and The Tommyknockers.

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2026-02-20 19:31