According to The Hollywood Reporter, J.J. Abrams is diving back into the world of Stephen King with a movie adaptation of the recent hit novel, “Billy Summers.” As the executive producer of Castle Rock, a Hulu TV series that was loosely based on King’s works set in Maine, Abrams is now taking the lead on this latest project.
Billy Summers, which was released in 2021, is a typical Stephen King novel in that it’s a fast-paced genre piece that doubles as a tribute to the art of writing. The story revolves around a professional assassin who takes on “one last job,” despite knowing the dangers of such endeavors in crime novels. After going on the run, he indulges his passion for writing and forms a connection with a young woman he saves from sexual assault. Similar to many of King’s recent works, the novel lacks any supernatural elements (although there are subtle references to The Shining that firmly place it within the author’s fiction universe).
Warner Bros. Discovery will be hosting the third King project that Abrams has been instrumental in bringing to the screen. In addition to Castle Rock, he also served as an executive producer on the Hulu adaptation of King’s time travel novel 11.22.63, and even wrote its theme song. It remains uncertain if Abrams will direct the film adaptation of Billy Summers, as he has not directed a film since Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker in 2019. Instead, he seems to prefer operating in his role as a producer.
