Summary
If one thing has become apparent in recent years, it is an era of excellentStephen Kingadaptations for film and television. From the popularity ofIT: Chapters 1 and 2, to the multi-season adaptation ofMr. Mercedesand theupcoming adaptation ofThe Dark Towerseries from Mike Flanagan, Stephen King’s works have continued to be prominent in mainstream media. With that in mind, the time may have come to find some of Stephen King’s older adaptations and give them a modern-day twist, bringing them to life for a new generation of viewers. One story in particular would perfectly fit into the political and social landscape of our modern world: Stephen King’sNeedful Things.
Needful Thingsis a unique tale that explores the nature of greed and what people are willing to do to protect what’s theirs, even going so far as to inspire violence in one another.A blend of supernatural horrorand suspense, the story is notable for including other prominent characters from another horror thriller,The Dark Half, and the location setting of his most beloved fictional setting, Castle Rock. While the story was adapted in 1993 into a film, the consensus of the film was not positive, which means the time for a more modern adaptation has never been better, and that’s whyNeedful Thingsdeserves a limited series event.
The Story OfNeedful Things, EXPLAINED
The hit Stephen King storyfollows the opening of a new store in Castle Rock, Maine, named Needful Things. Run by the mysterious Leland Gaunt, the store quickly becomes known throughout the town for always having whatever the customer is looking for, no matter how rare, from a priceless baseball card to a picture of Elvis Presley and even a piece of wood that is supposedly from Noah’s Ark. The other shocking revelation is that the prices of these items are very low, with the only thing required of the customers to be to follow requests made by Leland Gaunt, which are seemingly harmless “pranks” on other members of Castle Rock’s community. However, each customer enters a trance-like state during these transactions, agreeing to Leland’s price and gaining their prized possessions while pulling these pranks on their rivals and neighbors.
It is revealed that Leland Gaunt hasdiscovered the inner workings of Castle Rock, discovering each person’s hated rivalry and problems with one another, and uses these pranks to further these personal battles among the town’s citizens. Having determined that local town sheriff Alan Pangborn and his girlfriend Polly will be the town’s demanding customers, those who are less likely to fall under his thrall, Leland avoids Alan and targets Polly with a charm that takes away her arthritis pain, and lets him take control over her. From there, Leland brings on local petty criminal Ace Merrill, who begins to suspect Leland had a secret supernatural origin, having been doing the same thing to towns for centuries by charming them into thinking ordinary items are what they want the most. Ace was kept in line when Leland promised Ace revenge against Alan Pangborn.
A series of violent acts led to other members of the town who purchased from Leland to return to get weapons to use to defend their purchases, leading to even more violent acts popping up in the city. Eventually, things reach a boiling point, with several of the customers under Leland’s thrall joining forces to plant explosives all over town and attacking one another,until Alan Pangbornis left alone to face Leland himself. Using a sleight of hand, Alan can trick Leland and grab the shop owner’s valise, which holds the souls of his customers. This forces Leland to flee the town, leaving the survivors to pick up the pieces of their lives, but an epilogue shows Leland reopening the shop in a new city, ready to begin again.
HowNeedful ThingsCould Work As A Limited Series
The story ofNeedful Thingswas always too big for a single film to cover. With an entire town filled with characters, time must be given to these characters and the backgrounds that inspired the items they sought in Leland’s shop. There is also so much unknown about Leland Gaunt himself, with many attributing him to a demon in disguise, or even Satan himself. Now, depending on the rights situation withNeedful Things, could Leland Gaunt be a servant ofthe Crimson King himselffrom The Dark Tower?
Setting aside conjecture, the themes this story explores are also very relevant to the political and social divisions the world is facing today, including in the United States. The anger and rage that have brought these divides right to the surface are things that come to life effortlessly inNeedful Things, with the minor issues each of the townspeople has with one another quickly bubbling over and becoming full-blown violent attacks upon one another due to the machinations of Leland Gaunt. A 6-8 episode limited series that slowly builds that tension and mystery surrounding the store of Needful Things would perfectly fit into that limited series mold. Add a supernatural twist to Leland Gaunt’s origins, and viewers will have a chilling and relevant series that will stay with them for a long time. Hence,Stephen King’s acclaimed and beloved horror novelNeedful Thingsdeserves a second chance at an adaptation and should have its limited series event.
