The Big Picture

Rob Savage’s The Boogeyman, based on a Stephen King short story, will be released digitally on August 29 and on physical copies on October 10, just in time for Halloween. The film’s main character, Lester Billings, played by David Dastmalchian, is portrayed as eerie and unnerving, but also sympathetic and reaching out to be understood. Co-writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods highlight the importance of not relying solely on the monster for fear, praising Stephen King’s ability to incorporate grand thematic ideas and drama into his horror storytelling.

Arriving in theaters at the beginning of summer blockbuster season, it’s only right that Rob Savage’s The Boogeyman will carry us into the fall with its digital and physical releases. Arriving digitally on August 29, with physical copies made available just in time for Halloween on October 10, the latest adaptation of a Stephen King short story promises to bring the terror directly to your living room. In an exclusive-to-Collider bonus clip, the team behind the summer scarer explains the process behind bringing the dark mystery of the book’s main character, Lester Billings, to life.

Played by David Dastmalchian (The Last Voyage of the Demeter), the eerie and unnerving presence of the first man afflicted by the Boogeyman’s terror is perfectly portrayed in the on-screen telling. Knowing that Lester would serve as the film’s jumping-off point, Savage said that while he was, in a way, the “gas station harbinger,” the creative team wanted to play on his humanity, making him “sympathetic” and a character who was “reaching out to be understood.”

Co-writers, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who are also known as the talented team behind such other horror thrillers as A Quiet Place and 65, spoke to the necessity of not relying solely on the monster to bring the fear. Pointing to King’s works as the perfect foundation for this type of storytelling, Woods praised the author for his use of “grand thematic ideas and great dramas underneath the surface” of each of his tales of horror.

Stephen King’s On-Screen Legacy
Image Via 20th Century Studios

With a long list of legendary titles receiving a cinematic makeover, King’s works have had new life breathed into them time and time again. From Carrie to The Shining to Children of the Corn and Salem’s Lot, fans have long been running to theaters and TV screens to catch the latest adaptation of King’s works. As Woods put it, the writer’s natural knack for creating underlying themes that allow audiences to see a bit of themselves in the story is really what captivates us – although the monsters and other supernatural entities certainly don’t hurt. Beyond The Boogeyman’s physical and digital release, the next bit of King will come by way of the Pet Sematary prequel film, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines.

Releasing directly to Paramount+ on October 6, the film, which sheds light on the early days of main character Jud Crandall, will feature a cast including Jackson White, Pam Grier, Forrest Goodluck, and David Duchovny. Check out the Lester Billings-centered clip below.