Weirdly Named Tobe Hooper To Direct Weirdly Named Stephen King Novel

Written by: Tony Lazlo, CC2K Staff Writer

Texas Chainsaw Massacre maestro Tobe Hooper has signed on to direct a feature adaptation of Stephen King's From a Buick 8, which Amazon.com's users assure me is not a retread of one of his first novels, the possessed-car crapfest Christine.

Hooper has tackled King twice before: Salem's Lot (1979), and in the 1995 flick The Mangler, based on one of King's short stories. King's adaptations vary wildly enough in quality as it is, but adaptations of his short stories prove especially problematic – Children of the Corn, Sometimes They Come Back and Graveyard Shift spring to mind here, although two of those projects sparked endless straight-to-video series.

More after the jump!

I have some wonderfully chilly memories of Salem's Lot, though. Does anyone remember the floating vampire kid tapping on the window? Eeeek!

Johnathon Schaech and Richard Chizmar wrote the script for Buick 8. Schaech was in That Thing You Do (random), and now he's moved on to such heady fare as Roadhouse 2: Last Call and a remake of Prom Night.

George Romero was attached to direct this project at one time. Too bad he won't get a crack at it. I'd still love to see Romero handle some King material. Hell, Eli Roth seems to be flaking on his adaptation of Cell – maybe Romero could swoop in and save that one.

But I'd love to actually see another kick-ass Hooper movie – Poltergeist doesn't really count – so here's hoping Hooper's got some piss and vinegar left in him.