In the world of Stephen King adaptations, there is one name that has become a fan-favorite creator and director. This person has captured the vision of the author’s book wholeheartedly, and that is Mike Flanagan. The director, known for projects likeThe Haunting of Hill HouseandMidnight Mass,has an impressive history with Stephen King projects already, with hits likeDoctor Sleep,Gerald’s Game, and the more recentLife of Chuckfilm. It’s no wonder he isspearheading the adaptations of projects like Carrieor even the ambitiousDark Towerseries. Yet there is one series that is perfect for Mike Flanagan’s particular vision, and deserves a series of its own:The Talisman/Black House.
The books, written by Stephen King and the late Peter Straub, follow a boy named Jack Sawyer, who goes on a quest to find a mythical item known as the Talisman to save the life of his dying mother, discovering a world known as the Territories in the process. Later, a now-adult Jack finds his early retirement ended by facing a deadly serial killer with connections to his past and the Territories. WithStephen King having nearly finisheda third book in the series, now is the perfect time to adapt it.
The Talisman/Black House, Explained
The first book in the series,The Talisman, follows a young boy named Jack Sawyer, who learns that his mother is dying of cancer. Discovering a power to travel between our world and a realm known as The Territories, Jack is told of a quest across the country that leads to a powerful artifact known as the Talisman.
The object is said to have untold power, and potentially the power to heal his mother’s cancer and give her the rest of her life back. Determined to save her, Jack heads off on his quest, at the behest of a man named Speedy Parker, also known as Parkus in the Territories,another realm in the Dark Tower series.
The Territories are home to the “twinners” of people from Earth — their dopplegangers. Those whose twinner has died in one world have the ability to travel between worlds, something that Jack discovers about himself and his twinner who died years earlier. After a series of troubling events and deadly villains, Jack is able to find the Talisman and save his mother, after facing the evil Morgan Sloat, his late father’s former business partner. Sloat is later confirmed to be a servant of The Crimson King,the villain of the Dark Tower saga.
InBlack House, Jack Sawyer grew up to be a star LAPD detective, known for a unique ability to see things at crime scenes that no one else can. After a particularly gruesome case forces him to retire, he finds himself drawn into another case in his new home of Wisconsin, when a series of grisly child murders uncovers a new serial killer. After hesitating to help for so long, he is drawn back into the world of The Territories. There, he meets Parkus again, a man who seems toknow the ways of gunslingers.
Parkus reveals much to Jack, including the killer’s motivations being driven by an entity known as Mr. Munshun, another servant of the Crimson King. The killer is allowed to feed his sick appetites, but only if he brings “special” children to Mr. Munshun. Mr. Munshun holds these children at the Big Combination,a facility of the Crimson Kinghousing “breakers,” or those with telekinetic powers.
Jack, alongside his allies, goes to the killer’s lair, Black House, which leads into the other realm housing children. They face the killer and Mr. Munshun, before destroying the Big Combination and saving the missing children. However, after their victory, Jack is critically injured. He is forced to live in the Territories to heal, leaving his fate unclear.
Adapting the Fantasy Horror Series
The balance of fantasy and horror the series adopts is incredible. It’s also balanced well with heartfelt character development, muchlike Flanagan’s work inThe Haunting of Hill House. The series would make a great companion toThe Dark Toweradaptation, as the books have a lot of connections to one another.
From the Crimson King having multiple agents working for him throughout bothThe TalismanandBlack House, to the Territories having a deep connection to Mid-World in theDark Toweras well, these two franchises are perfectly compatible with one another. Adapting these books would help expandthe Dark Towerseries Mike Flanagan is actively developing.
The massive amount of work being developed based on Stephen King’s novels and short stories make this a top priority for both readers and developers. The fantasy horror genre is incredibly popular right now, with even popularseries likeBuffy the Vampire Slayermaking comebacks in the near future. The blend of YA fantasy action inThe Talismanwith gritty fantasy horror inBlack Houseis the perfect sweet spot for Mike Flanagan’s long history of storytelling. That is why he is the perfect choice to bringThe Talisman and Black Houseto life in a brand-new series.
