It might be February, but it’s hot as hell in some parts of the world, and if you’re in California every season is fire season. So we might as well get into the mood with the new adaptation of Stephen King’s classic science fiction meets horror novel, Firestarter, headed to theaters and Peacock in May.
What is Firestarter?
Firestarter tells the story of the McGee family: Andy, Vicky, and their young daughter Charlie. When Andy and Vicky were in college they participated in a secret government experiment where they were given a dose of a fictional hallucinogen akin to LSD called “LOT-6.” Other participants suffered horrible side effects, but Andy and Vicky received low-grade telepathic abilities. Vicky can read minds and Andy can control others using an ability he refers to as “the push.” However, his use of the ability is limited due to the effort it takes, which causes nosebleeds.
Years later, the couple is on the run, and they now have an eight-year-old daughter, Charlie, who has exceptionally strong abilities. She has “pyrokinesis” (the ability to control heat and fire) along with the ability to see the near future. Unfortunately for the McGees, the onset of Charlie’s powers coincides with the government agency, The Shop, who performed the experiment on them, attempting to track them down. The Shop has learned about Charlie’s powers and wants to weaponize her. The family must now contend with teaching Charlie to control her immense power and fend off government agents that want to capture and control her.
The novel was published in 1980, with the first version of the film premiering in 1984. The original cast of Firestarter includes David Keith and Heather Locklear as Andy and Vicky McGee, George C Scott as John Rainbird (the agent trying to track them down) and baby Drew Barrymore as Charlie—one of her earliest roles!Â
When does the new Firestarter release on Peacock?
The new adaptation is helmed by Keith Thomas (director of the excellent horror film The Vigil) and stars Zac Efron and Sydney Lemmon as the McGees, Michael Greyeyes as Rainbird, and Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the powerful Charlie. It will be released by Universal Pictures simultaneously in theaters and on Peacock on May 13, 2022.
(image: Ken Woroner/Universal Pictures)
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