Editorials
Stephen King Turns 69 Today!
Today marks the 69th birthday of one of the greatest horror authors of all time: Stephen King. Jonathan wrote a great piece last year about King’s accomplishments, so I won’t try to duplicate that here. Rather, I thought it would be fun to check on the status of all of his works in progress, be it the status of his future novels or adaptations of his previous works.
Let’s dive in to the films first. It’s no secret that King adaptations over the years have been hit or miss, but we have a lot of promising adaptations to look forward to in the next couple of years. There has been recent progress on the film adaptation of Gerald’s Game, a novel of King’s which has long been considered unfilmable. This is mainly due to the fact that the plot consists solely of a woman being handcuffed to a bed for the duration of the novel. That won’t stop Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Hush) from directing said film adaptation for Netflix though. It’s still too early to know anything specific about the project, but Flanagan initially expressed his passion for the project back in 2014, so it’s been a long time coming and after the success he had with Netflix and Hush, I think we have a special film to look forward to.
Then of course you’ve got the film adaptation of It being released next September (well, the first part of it anyway). The film went through a pretty long development period before Andy Muschietti (Mama) was finally selected to direct the film. The first image of Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård) was released last month to a mixed response but it’s really too soon to judge the project. At the very least you’ve got to respect the different take the remake is taking, especially when you take into consideration that the film will be set in 1989 and present day, rather than the novel’s 1957 and 1984.
One can’t mention Stephen King without referencing the Dark Tower series. Now that is a film adaptation that has been through some development Hell. After several false starts, production on the film finally began back in March, with Nikolaj Arcel . A release date has been set for February 17, 2017, which is an interesting time to release the epic. February is known for being a genre film dumping ground, but after Deadpool’s success from the same weekend last year it’s understandable that Sony is feeling confident with that date.
Lastly, it was announced earlier this year that his novella The Mist, which was previously adapted into a film directed by Frank Darabont, would be adapted into a television series for Spike TV. The series will be premiering some time in 2017, although no official release date has been set. It does feature an impressive cast though. It will star Morgan Spector (Boardwalk Empire) and Alyssa Sutherland (Vikings).
On the book side of things, King just released End of Watch, the final installment of his detective trilogy that began with 2014’s Mr. Mercedes. King’s next novel will be a collaboration with his youngest son Owen King called Sleeping Beauties, which will be set in a women’s prison in West Virginia. It is set to be released some time in 2017.
As you can see, 2017 is going to be a pretty busy year for Stephen King fans. So in honor of Mr. King’s birthday, grab your favorite Stephen King novel and give it a read this week. Happy birthday Mr. King!
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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