EXCLUSIVE: Stephen King’s bestselling novel From A Buick 8 has been optioned by Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment. Amritraj has set William Brent Bell to write the script and direct. Bell last helmed the STX release The Boy, and his other credits include the Paramont genre hit The Devil Inside, Wer, and Stay Alive. Amritraj will produce. Addison Mehr and Priya Amritraj will be executive producers.

King published the novel in 2002, his second to feature a vintage car as a fulcrum of evil, alongside Christine. From a Buick 8 centers around the rural town of Statler, Pennsylvania where the state police have kept a mysterious 1954 Buick Roadmaster in the shed behind the barracks for over twenty years. But when the town is plagued by strange and supernatural events, it turns out the Buick isn’t exactly a car- it’s a door to another dimension. Pic becomes the latest title on the prolific author’s back list to reignite. It was once developed as a vehicle for Night of the Living Dead‘s George Romero.

Hyde Park will continue its long-term feature film financing partnership here with ImageNation Abu Dhabi. Next up on the genre front for Hyde Park is Prey, which Hyde Park fully financed as a co-production with Blumhouse. Amritraj and Jason Blum produce that one.

King is repped by Paradigm and Gang, Tyre; Bell is repped by ICM Partners.

EXCLUSIVE: Actor Thomas Jane (The Predator) and producer Courtney Lauren Penn (Altitude) are teaming up to form LA-based content company Renegade Entertainment with Stephen King novel adaptation From A Buick 8 their first movie project on the docket.

Renegade, which will develop and produce film, TV, games and immersive content, is partnering with King to adapt and produce his 2002 thriller novel about a car which is a door to another dimension.

From A Buick 8 centers around the rural town of Statler, Pennsylvania where the state police have kept a mysterious 1954 Buick Roadmaster in the shed behind the barracks for over twenty years. When the town is plagued by strange and supernatural events, it turns out the Buick isn’t what it seems to be.

“From a Buick 8 is a thrilling and deeply personal project for us,” said Jane and Penn, “as we explore a uniquely structured mystery spanning the 70s, 80s, 90s and post-9/11 era, centered around a son’s search for the truth behind his father’s sudden death. Along with first love and grief, terrifying and philosophic mysteries are spawned by inexplicable events connected to the titular car. We are honored that Stephen is supporting our vision of his brilliant, provocative novel.”

Pic becomes the latest title on King’s in-demand back list to reignite. It was once developed as a vehicle for Night Of The Living Dead‘s George Romero and was previously in the works at Hyde Park Entertainment with writer William Brent Bell.