The Boogeyman Trailer: The Latest Stephen King Adaptation Is On The Way

Just as sure as the morning will bring the sun, so too will 2023 see the release of another Stephen King adaptation, this time in the form of "The Boogeyman." Perhaps not quite as well known as some of his other work (then again, most horror stories aren't "quite as well known" when stacked up against the likes of "The Shining," "Carrie," and "It"), "The Boogeyman" originated as a short story written by the notorious vending machine hater in 1973 for Cavalier magazine, before later being featured in King's 1978 short story collection "Night Shift" along with works like "The Lawnmower Man" and "Children of the Corn." It's since been twice adapted into a short film, first by Jeff C. Schiro in 1982 and then by Gerard Lough in 2010.

The first-ever feature-length take on "The Boogeyman" began with a script draft written by "A Quiet Place" scribes Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, with Akela Cooper of "Malignant" and "M3GAN" fame having also worked up a draft or two prior to Mark Heyman ("Black Swan," "The Skeleton Twins") boarding the project as a writer. Rob Savage is calling the shots on this one, having previously made a name for himself with his critically-acclaimed 2020 Zoom call seance lockdown horror film "Host" (there's a whole lot packed into that short description, I know) before helming "Dashcam" — the 2021 pandemic thriller /Film's Chris Evangelista declared "downright painful to watch" in his review.

Thankfully, early signs point to "The Boogeyman" being a return to form for Savage or, at the very least, a step back in the right direction. For more on that, check out the movie's official trailer, below.

According to its synopsis, "['The Boogeyman'] centers on a 16-year old and her younger sister, both still reeling from the death of their mother, who are targeted by a supernatural boogeyman after their father, a psychologist, has an encounter with a desperate patient in their house." It definitely sounds like classic Stephen King stuff on paper, combining a family in peril with a big ol' metaphor for the destructive power of loss and grief. The cast ought to be more than up for the challenge of tackling such heavy material, too, with character actor extraordinaire David Dastmalchian leading an ensemble that includes the talented youngster Vivien Lyra Blair ("Obi-Wan Kenobi"), Madison Hu ("Voyagers"), and Sophie Thatcher ("Yellowjackets"), along with Chris Messina ("Sharp Objects"), aka the most under-appreciated Chris.

With so many talented folks involved in making "The Boogeyman" (including some whose 2023 is already off to a fabulous start), there's reason to think it might yet join the club of great Stephen King movie adaptations, or even just the perfectly okay ones like "Mr. Harrigan's Phone." Disney and 20th Century Studios clearly think so, seeing as they premiered its trailer during the National Football Conference (NFC) championship game after giving the film a theatrical release in response to an early positive test screening. It would seem that King kid may well have a future in this business.

"The Boogeyman" opens in theaters on June 2, 2023.