Robert here! It looks like the poor citizens of Maine are once again at the mercy of supernatural horrors as Stephen King's The Mist is being adapted into a miniseries for Spike TV. The new trailer dropped yesterday and it looks like this adaptation has it all: creepy priests, commentary on the decline of western consumerism, Frances Conroy, and even a same-sex kiss (that doesn't turn out so well :/).
All of that being said, as much as The Mist is perfect fodder for the miniseries treatment, I'm left feeling a little apprehensive by the current prospects of this one...
Part of that might be because there are sky high expectations due to the amazing feature film adaptation written and directed by Frank Darabont from 2007. Early reports about the miniseries suggested that Darabont helped develop the project, but as of now his name doesn't appeared attached to the final product in any way.
Darabont's The Mist was everything that a good Stephen King adaptation should, which is notable because so few are. It used the original premise – a small town in Maine that is covered by a mysterious mist which seems to have supernatural properties – to full effect and worked within the confines of the original story while also making smart adjustments to better suit the format and modern setting. It was thoughtful, beautifully filmed, featured an amazingly unhinged performance by Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden and most importantly, it was scary. Darabont even added his own twist ending which was controversial but definitely a strong choice.
With so much to work with, let's hope this new adaptation doesn't either try to do too much with what is already a great premise, or play it safe and deliver just another OK monster show. If done well, The Mist miniseries could be a perfect bit of summer entertainment, and either way we'll be watching when it premieres on June 22nd.
Are you hyped for The Mist? Do you have fond memories of the original film? And what do we think of the prospect of Spike TV original miniseries'?