The series was being developed at Netflix by the Duffer Brothers, the creators of the hit show Stranger Things. Because of their success, many fans expected this adaptation to finally succeed after years of failed attempts.
The Talisman has had a long and troubled history in Hollywood. The book was first published in 1984 and has been passed between different studios for decades. Despite strong interest, it has only ever been adapted as a short film and an unfinished comic book series.
Speaking to CBR, Matt Duffer admitted the team may have underestimated how hard the story was to adapt. He said it was probably “naive” to think they could be the ones to finally make it work. His brother Ross Duffer added that the project has been “in development forever” and joked that they were unable to “break the curse.”
The novel The Talisman was co-written by Stephen King and Peter Straub. The two authors later wrote a follow-up novel, Black House, released in 2001. The story also has connections to King’s larger universe, including ties to The Dark Tower, which has also struggled with adaptations.
Even though the Netflix series is no longer happening, Stephen King has not given up on the world of The Talisman. He is currently working on a third novel, using ideas shared with him by Peter Straub before Straub’s death.
Fans remain hopeful that one day The Talisman will finally get a proper screen adaptation. For now, however, the project joins a long list of promising ideas that never made it past the development stage.
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