Stephen Kingis probably best known for his supernatural horror stories. For half a century, he’s spun tales of ghosts, vampires, and all manner of interdimensional monsters. However, he’s also written more grounded narratives that are no less affecting. Though they don’t involve any sort of ghoul, these stories are regarded as some of his best work, and often make for the best adaptations.
That’s why there’s one particularStephen Kingadaptation that I’m more excited for than any others. Despite the fact that another version ofThe Standis in the works (this time a movie directed by Doug Liman), along with Mike Flanagan’sCarrieminiseries, I’m feeling the most optimistic about theBilly Summersmovie in the works, and there are plenty of reasons why.
Stephen King’s Billy Summers Is One Of His Best Modern Books
It’s a story about a hitman’s last job, but it’s packed with King’s signature flourishes
Billy Summersis the story of the titular hitman, a former Marine sniper who is pulled into a “one last job” situation by his regular employer. Billy’s cover story during this job sees him posing as a writer (writing about writers and the process is another one of King’s old standbys). As with any “last job,” things get complicated, and Billy has to rely on his wits and his skills to survive. However, things get complicated when Billy crosses paths with a young woman named Alice, and their two stories become even more intertwined.
King is no stranger to writing crime thrillers, as demonstrated by his excellent Hard Case novelJoyland(which is being adapted as a TV show, but would be way better as a movie).Billy Summersexemplifies all of King’s storytelling strengths without his usual third-act weaknesses. Billy is such a compelling character that he is able to carry the bulk of the narrative on his own until Alice shows up.
The plot is propulsive and paced well, and there are some great twists and turns (as well as a connection to one ofStephen King’s most famous novels).Billy Summersreceived rave reviews on its release, with Neil McRobert ofThe Guardiancalling it King’s “best book in years.” As a huge Stephen King fan, I’m inclined to agree.
What makes Billy so much fun to follow through the story is just how meticulous and intelligent he is in his planning and his work as an assassin. The hook for his character, however, is that he intentionally never lets on how smart he is. He lets his employer think that he is just a lunkheaded killing machine, and there is obviously good reason for that.
When Billy gets deep in his cover as a writer, he decides to put his own story to paper. I thought this was a brilliant way to show where Billy came from and what led him to the present without having to resort to flashbacks that could otherwise slow things down. Later in the story, Billy’s relationship with Alice becomes a real selling point, with the two exemplifying the kind of reluctant mentor-mentee relationship seen in the likes ofJoel and Ellie inThe Last of Us.
All of these elements makeBilly Summersan ideal movie adaptation. It would join the ranks of King’s other grounded works that have been made into films, which are undoubtedly some of the best.That includesMisery,The Shawshank Redemption,Stand By Me, andThe Green Mile(okay, the last one has some supernatural stuff, but not that much). With the right director, writer, and cast,Billy Summerscould be an instant classic. Luckily, the adaptation has some real Hollywood muscle behind it.
The Billy Summers Movie is Being Produced By Leonardo DiCaprio and J.J. Abrams
Both Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way and J.J. Abrams’s Bad Robot are the production banners behindBilly Summers, and this bodes well for the Stephen King adaptation. DiCaprio is no slouch when it comes to picking solid projects. His production company has been behind a number of great films, many of which unsurprisingly starred DiCaprio. These include Martin Scorsese’sThe Aviator, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street,andKillers of the Flower Moon, as well as Alejandro González Iñárritu’sThe Revenant, among others.
J.J. Abrams might be the name that gives some viewers pause, consideringhis work on bothStar TrekandStar Warsproved to be polarizing to downright unpopular. However, Abrams served as a producer onthree of the bestMission: Impossiblemovies:Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation, andFallout, as well as the underrated World War II action horror flickOverlord. There’s also no discounting his work in television.Lostis a stone-cold classic, and his work onFelicity(which he co-created withThe Batmandirector Matt Reeves) proves that Abrams understands down-to-earth character-based stories.
With the combined knowledge of these two producing powerhouses behind it, there’s very little doubt in my mind thatBilly Summerscan’t be a success. Of course, it’s going to come down to finding the right person to helm the project, as well as two great leads to carry the story. There may be a lot to look forward to this year for King fans (how lucky are we that bothEdgar Wright’sThe Running Manand Francis Lawrence’sThe Long Wallkare coming out within a few months of each other?), but it’sBilly Summersthat’s got me thinking we’re in a new era of great King adaptations.
