A documentary filmed in part in Maine last year about the cinematic legacy of the works of Stephen King finally will come out in theaters and on streaming this summer.
“King on Screen,” directed by Daphne Baiwir, is set to come out on June 26 in the United Kingdom and shortly thereafter on streaming in the U.S. and Canada, though a specific U.S. release date has not yet been set.
The documentary features an array of actors, directors and screenwriters who have worked on Stephen King movies and TV shows over the years, including Frank Darabont, director of “The Shawshank Redemption”; Tim Curry, who originally played Pennywise in the “It” miniseries; James Caan, who played Paul Sheldon in “Misery”; and Mike Flanagan, who has directed two feature films based on King stories, “Gerald’s Game” and “Doctor Sleep.”
Part of the film was shot in Orono last March, with local residents and visitors curious about the sudden arrival of a sign for a store called “Creepshop” in an unused storefront. The “store” was just a set decoration for interviews for the film that were conducted in town, though it stayed up for the rest of the summer.
A clip from the movie featuring Flanagan was released last week, previewing a section of the film about King’s long history of writing strong female characters, and how his mother and his wife, writer Tabitha King, influenced him in that aspect of his work.
A number of movies and TV shows based on King stories were actually shot in Maine as well, which is unusual for many films set in Maine. “Pet Sematary” was famously shot in Maine in 1988, as were the films “Graveyard Shift,” “Needful Things,” “Dolores Claiborne,” “Creepshow 2” and “Thinner,” and the TV series “The Langoliers” and “Storm of the Century.” Most others, including wildly popular films like “The Shawshank Redemption” and both “It” films, were shot elsewhere, despite being entirely set in Maine.
Other movies based on Stephen King works that are set to come out this year include “The Boogeyman,” set for a June 2 theatrical release.
