New Stephen King Movie Coming to Theaters This Week

Stephen King fans are getting a wicked treat this week, a new movie adaptation of one of his stories is coming to theaters. On Friday, Children of the Corn will open in cinemas around the nation. The film is a modern update on King’s iconic short story of the same name, which spawned a film franchise in the ’90s and 2000s.

“Possessed by a spirit in a dying cornfield, twelve-year-old Eden recruits the other children in her small town to rise up and take control,” reads an official synopsis of the new film. “Tired of having to pay the price for their parents’ mistakes, Eden leads the kids on a bloody rampage, killing the adults and anyone who opposes her.With all the adults jailed or dead, it comes down to one high schooler who won’t go along with the plan and becomes the town’s only hope of survival.Children of the Corn is a chilling new re-telling for a whole new generation.”

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Children of the Corn (2023) stars Elena Kampouris (Jupiter’s Legacy), Kate Moyer (Station Eleven), Callan Mulvey (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), and Bruce Spence (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales). Additional cast members include Stephen Hunter, Erika Heynatz, Anna Samson, Sisi Stringer, Andrew S. Gilbert, Joe Klocek, Orlando Schwerdt, Brian Meegan, Mike Duncan, and Trey Daniels. The new film is written and directed by Kurt Wimmer. Some of his past film writing credits include The Thomas Crown Affair (1999), Law Abiding Citizen, and Salt. Wimmer also wrote and directed the sci-fi/action films Equilibrium and Ultraviolet. 

King’s Children of the Corn short story was first published in the March 1977 issue of Penthouse and was later included in Night Shift, his 1978 collection of short stories. The story was first adapted in 1983, as a short film titled Disciples of the Crow. The following year, New World Pictures adapted Children of the Corn as a larger-budget film starring Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton. 

Over the past 38 years since the original movie was released, Children of the Corn has spawned nine other films — including a prequel and made-forTV remake — making Children of the Corn (2023) the tenth film in the franchise. Notably, the movie was actually filmed during the Covid-19 pandemic, and premiered that same year at a screening in Sarasota, Florida. March 3 will mark the film’s wide theatrical release, which will later be followed by an exclusive streaming run on Shudder.