Frank Darabont's The Mist, his big-screen version of Stephen King's novella, is under development as a 10-part TV series, according to The New York Times (via The Playlist). Darabont is involved with the show's development. No other details have been announced yet.
King's novella, first published in 1980, detailed the events in a small town in Maine after it is enveloped by a strange mist, from which horrifying, bloodthirsty creatures emerge. Some of the town's citizens are trapped in a supermarket, where they are eventually pitted against one another, divided by their own prejudices and religious beliefs. Thomas Jane starred in the 2007 film version, which built a credibly high level of tension and maintained fidelity to its source material, although Darabont chose the resolve the story in a different way than King did. In its barest essentials, it resembles King's Under the Dome -- small-town citizens trapped by a (possibly) supernatural phenomenon they don't understand -- which may make it an easier sell to a broadcast or cable network.
Darabont's television experience dates back to the 1990s when he wrote multiple episodes of Tales from the Crypt and The Young Indiana Jones Adventures. His return to TV with AMC's The Walking Dead ended, unfortunately, on an acrimonious note with the network, but that did not dissuade him from the medium; the first two episodes of his new limited series Mob City will premiere on TNT on Wednesday.
The small-screen version of The Mist is part of a plan by the Weinstein Company to expand its slate of reality and scripted series. That plan includes the recently announced Scream, and is part of a wave of horror movies being developed for television. We can't wait to see which ones actually make it to air.
