TV Series Version Of Stephen King’s ‘The Mist’ Lands The Perfect Director

Stephen King’s The Mist is quite possibly one of the most frightening novellas you’ll ever have the chance to read. For anyone that has seen the film adaptation of The Mist, you know that the changed ending is one of the most disturbing things ever. Now, Spike is going to take King’s frightening tale and turn it into a TV series which has a chance to be something truly special. With Adam Bernstein now tagged as the director, chances have just gone up.

Deadline revealed that the Emmy-award winning director of 30 Rock will indeed direct the premiere episode of The Mist. This version will be based on Stephen King’s novella and not directly off of the film or a continuation of it.

The Mist will be a 10-episode series detailing a small town that seems relatively normal and quaint. That is, until a strange and unexpected mist rolls into the town and completely envelops it to the point that no one can see out of it or past it.

Little do the residents know that there is something in the mist and that it is not safe for them to venture into it.

Adam Bernstein has a lot of credits to his name as he directed the pilots for 30 Rock, Scrubs, and Fargo. He’s also done a number of episodes for Homicide: Life on the Street, Oz, Shameless, Better Call Saul, Bored to Death, Entourage, Californication, and Breaking Bad.

As if that wasn’t enough, Bernstein has also directed a great number of music videos for very popular bands. He was the directive mind behind “Hey Ladies” by the Beastie Boys, “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot, and “Love Shack” by the B-52’s.

Those lists go to show the range that Bernstein has in his work, and how he doesn’t stick to one genre or type of show. He’s done comedy and drama and crime drama and thrillers, so it seems only right that he now venture into the horror world.

Bernstein is someone who truly enjoys directing the pilots and premiere episodes of a new series. In an interview done with The Wrap, via io9, He said that it’s a lot on his shoulders, but it allows him to pave the way for others.

“There is a certain amount of pressure, but for me that’s the fun part. You get to be in on the ground floor of defining what this world going to look like, what the color palette is going to be, how you’re going to shoot it. It’s always really enjoyable to have the larger share of responsibility for designing what the show is going to be.”

The TV version of The Mist is written by Christian Torpe, who is also going to executive produce the show. He is the creator of Rita, a Danish hit drama that is just finishing up its fourth season.

Depending on the time of evening that The Mist will air on Spike and just how much leeway the show’s team is given, it could end up being truly terrifying. With a little bit of space and freedom, Stephen King’s story may very well come to life in a horrific way on the small screen.

The idea of a TV series based on Stephen King’s The Mist is one that some people have had a bit of doubt in. They’re just not sure how it can continue on for a full season, or multiple seasons, worth of material. Throughout time, TV show frontrunners have gotten a lot out of even less, and with Stephen King, there’s always more. With Adam Bernstein at the helm as director, he won’t need much to bring a lot of fear.

[Image via Dimension Films]