Exciting news on the television front: Stephen King and Steven Spielberg are teaming up to create a television drama Under the Dome, based on King’s 2009 novel by the same name, and will be produced by DreamWorks Television.
When the book came out, Spielberg, who works for DreamWorks, quickly grabbed the rights to the television show. Currently they are working on finding a writer for the show (which I find amusing, funnily enough!), but King and DreamWorks TV’s Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey are set to be the producers.
What’s the premise of the story? Here’s what Amazon has to say about the book (which is important to read, as there is absolutely no description on the book – the hardback, anyway!) :
King’s return to supernatural horror is uncomfortably bulky, formidably complex and irresistibly compelling. When the smalltown of Chester’s Mill, Maine, is surrounded by an invisible force field, the people inside must exert themselves to survive. The situation deteriorates rapidly due to the dome’s ecological effects and the machinations of Big Jim Rennie, an obscenely sanctimonious local politician and drug lord who likes the idea of having an isolated populace to dominate. Opposing him are footloose Iraq veteran Dale “Barbie” Barbara, newspaper editor Julia Shumway, a gaggle of teen skateboarders and others who want to solve the riddle of the dome. King handles the huge cast of characters masterfully but ruthlessly, forcing them to live (or not) with the consequences of hasty decisions. Readers will recognize themes and images from King’s earlier fiction, and while this novel doesn’t have the moral weight of, say, The Stand, nevertheless, it’s a nonstop thrill ride as well as a disturbing, moving meditation on our capacity for good and evil.
We’ll keep you updated as news comes in!