It was late last week when director Josh Boone pumped the breaks on his rendition of The Stand to focus on another Stephen King novel, Revival. Having already penned a script for the project, Boone’s adaptation is perhaps further along than many initially released, and now Entertainment Weekly reports that Samuel L. Jackson is in contention for a key part.
If EW is to be believed, The Hateful Eight star is circling the role of Reverend Charles Jacobs, a sinister and enigmatic character whose mere presence is enough to drive the residents of a small New England town to the brink of insanity. It’s a tragic role, too, given Jacobs loses his wife and child to a tragic accident, leading him down a dark role that results in dabbling with the supernatural.
First published in 2014, the official logline for Revival describes King’s thriller as so:
In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs—including Jamie’s mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.
Michael De Luca is producing the project, which is still searching for an actor to fill the lead role of Jamie Morton. Until then, Revival isn’t likely to plant the flag for a production start date.
In related news to the Stephen King-verse, the author himself recently confirmed those casting rumors linking Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey with key roles in another adaptation of his, The Dark Tower.
