Gaumont to unleash Stephen King thriller

The LA-based TV production arm of French film studio Gaumont, which is behind Netflix drama Narcos, has acquired the rights to adapt Stephen King’s novella N.

Stephen King’s novella N.

The company is turning the book into a one-hour scripted drama series called 8.

Andrew Barrer and Gabe Ferrari (Ant-Man & The Wasp) will write the screenplay, with David F Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation) directing. The three will also exec produce alongside Lotta Losten (Lights Out) and 3 Arts Entertainment’s Erwin Stoff.

Adapted from a 54-page book from King’s Just After Sunset Collection, 8 follows three teenagers who encounter an ancient evil contained in a ring of stones in the woods of Maine and must face it again when it returns 25 years later.

Gaumont has been dabbling in different scripted genres, having recently announced the development of sci-fi thriller Red Rush.

It also signed a first-look TV deal with producer and director Chris McQuarrie and his producing partner Heather McQuarrie to create numerous scripted projects. Season four of Narcos is currently in pre-production.