Akiva Goldsman to helm reboot of Stephen King’s ‘Firestarter’
Blumhouse Productions and Universal teamed up with Akiva Goldsman for a remake of Stephen King’s Firestarter, announced at the Overlook Film Festival in 2017. The news landed while the festival crowd was still buzzing over the premiere of Stephanie, Goldsman’s earlier collaboration with the production house, at the Timberline Lodge.
Firestarter had already seen one screen version in 1984, directed by Mark Lester. That film tracked a father and his pyrokinetic daughter as they fled a covert government operation, with David Keith and a young Drew Barrymore in the leads. Stephen King had voiced reservations about the earlier take, and the project never quite caught fire with audiences or critics at the time.
Announcement Context
The 2017 reveal positioned Goldsman to direct, backed by Jason Blum and with Scott Teems attached to write the screenplay. Martha de Laurentiis, who had served as an associate producer on the 1984 version, returned in an executive producer capacity. The plan was framed as a fresh start for material that had lingered in development for years.
Production Changes
Early momentum shifted when Goldsman stepped away from the director’s chair. Fatih Akin took over briefly in 2018 before Keith Thomas assumed the role in 2019. Teems’s screenplay remained the foundation through the transitions, while Jason Blum and Akiva Goldsman stayed on as producers.
Other Stephen King Projects Mention
The 2017-era slate of King adaptations has since moved from rumor to record. The Dark Tower, It, and Gerald’s Game all reached theaters that same year. Castle Rock evolved into a two-season anthology series on Hulu, and The Mist received its own television treatment on Spike. Those projects helped keep King’s name prominent across both film and television during the late 2010s.
Release and Box Office Performance
The finished film opened May 13, 2022, in theaters and on Peacock the same day. It earned roughly $3.8 million domestically in its first weekend and finished with a worldwide gross near $15 million against a $12 million budget. The simultaneous release strategy reflected the hybrid theatrical-streaming model that studios adopted during that period.
Critical and Audience Reception
Reviewers were largely unmoved. The film sits at a 10 percent Tomatometer score based on 162 reviews, with an average rating of 3.6 out of 10. Metacritic recorded a 32 out of 100, and opening-weekend audiences gave it a C-minus CinemaScore. Many observers found the new version less effective than the 1984 original despite the updated effects and cast.
Cast and Creative Team Evolution
Zac Efron stepped into the role of Andy McGee, while Ryan Kiera Armstrong played his daughter Charlie. Sydney Lemmon and several supporting actors filled out the ensemble. Keith Thomas guided the final cut, and the production kept its Blumhouse footprint with Jason Blum and Akiva Goldsman credited as producers.
Martha de Laurentiis Legacy
Martha de Laurentiis bridged both adaptations, moving from associate producer on the 1984 film to executive producer on the 2022 version. She passed away in December 2021 after a battle with cancer, leaving behind a body of work that included multiple King-related and horror projects over several decades.
The completed Firestarter now sits as one chapter in the longer history of King screen adaptations. Its modest returns and mixed notices stand in contrast to the anticipation that surrounded the 2017 announcement, yet the project still delivered a new generation of viewers to the story of a father and daughter on the run from forces that wanted to harness her abilities.
