Netflix has officially announced a remake of Stephen King’s chilling 1981 novel Cujo, a gripping horror tale about a mother and son trapped in their car as they attempt to survive a rabid dog’s relentless attack.
The upcoming reboot will be produced by Roy Lee, best known for his work on Barbarian. Although the project is in the early stages, with no writer, director, or cast attached as of yet, Deadline broke the news of the remake, signaling a renewed interest in King’s works in Hollywood. Cujo was originally adapted into a feature film in 1983, directed by Lewis Teague and starring Dee Wallace, Daniel Hugh Kelly, and Danny Pintauro. The original film grossed $21 million worldwide, not adjusted for inflation, against a modest $6 million budget.
Stephen King’s extensive catalog of novels, spanning genres from horror and science fiction to crime and fantasy, has long been a valuable source for Hollywood adaptations. Iconic films like Carrie, The Shining, The Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me, and It, along with its sequel It: Chapter Two, have cemented King’s legacy as one of the most adapted authors in modern cinema.
Currently, Edgar Wright is working on an adaptation of King’s dystopian action thriller The Running Man, featuring Colman Domingo, Glen Powell, and Josh Brolin. Meanwhile, Mike Flanagan recently directed Life of Chuck, a heartwarming apocalyptic tale starring Tom Hiddleston and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Life of Chuck was acquired by Neon after winning the Audience Award at the Toronto Film Festival. Neon also supported The Monkey, a gory slasher based on King’s short story about a cursed toy that causes random deaths. Released in February, the film has grossed $45 million worldwide.
On the television front, King’s works continue to thrive, with the highly anticipated HBO prequel Welcome to Derry to explore the It universe, and Flanagan’s Carrie series in development at Amazon.
With this new Cujo remake, Netflix is poised to bring another Stephen King classic to a new generation of horror fans.
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