According to Deadline, prolific TV writer David E. Kelley will pen a limited series adaptation of Stephen King’s 2014 novel “Mr. Mercedes” for Sonar Entertainment, to be directed by Jack Bender (“Lost”).
“Mr. Mercedes” concerns a man who kills eight people by plowing into a crowd with a stolen Mercedes and the retired cop who vows to hunt him down. It is the first part of a projected trilogy, with the second entry “Finders Keepers” to be published by Scribner on June 2.
“This is an amazing opportunity to adapt a script from material penned by one of the world’s most acclaimed and accomplished authors,” said Kelley. “Mr. Mercedes is a great story that will translate beautifully to the screen if I don’t mess it up.”
While Kelley’s bread and butter is courtroom shows (“Boston Legal,” “Ally McBeal,” “The Practice”) he is no stranger to the horror genre, having written the screenplay for 1999’s giant crocodile opus Lake Placid. “Mr. Mercedes” joins a veritable Stephen King renaissance that includes another mini-series adaptation, “11/22/63,” from producer J.J. Abrams, as well as planned multi-film adaptations of The Stand and IT over at Warner Bros. Meanwhile, an adaptation of Cell, starring Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusack, will be released later this year.
