Firestarter: What is this horror film starring Zac Efron, adapted from Stephen King?

ᲨᲔᲡᲐᲮᲔᲑᲐᲐ ᲨᲔᲡᲐᲮᲔᲑᲐᲐ?

For more than a decade, Andy and Vicky have been constantly on the move to avoid the shadowy federal agency trying to catch their daughter Charlie. Indeed, this man has an unusual faculty of pyroquinosis that the agency wants to use to create weapons of mass destruction … Andy taught his daughter to control anger or pain, which gives her strength. But Charlie is now 11 years old, and he finds it increasingly difficult to control his emotions – and therefore the fires. When the agency finds out where he and his parents live, a mysterious agent is sent on a mission to track down the family and capture Charlie. But the young girl is not going to run …

By Zack Efron, young Ryan Keira Armstrong, Sydney Lemon and Michael Grace, Firestarter adapted from the novel Charlie By Stephen King, published in 1980.

The latter had already adapted into a movie in 1984, then starring 9-year-old Drew Barrymore. Directed by Mark L. Lester and adapted by Stanley Mann, Charlie is a critical and public failure. With a budget of $ 15 million, the film grossed $ 17 million worldwide.

Bringing the film to the younger generation

38 years after the first version, producers Jason Bloom (Bloomhouse) and Akiva Goldsman (Weed Road Pictures), who were already collaborating on the paranormal activity saga, decided to make a new adaptation.

Jason Bloom explains in the film’s press set: “It’s a whole new generation of horror movie fans who may have heard of the first movie but probably not seen it. We thought it was a great opportunity to update the story a bit and introduce new faces.. “

Blumhouse Productions also specializes in remake of the horror films of the 70s and 80s. A way for an American studio to translate horror movie classics for a new generation.

The company has indeed just created a sequel to the Halloween trilogy and remakes of The Invisible Man, Black Christmas and even the Fantastic Island series.

Jason Bloom recently announced the sequel to the cult film Exorcist, a trilogy directed by David Gordon Green, who is already working on a new Halloween franchise.

Zac Efron, father for the first time in cinema

For his part, Firestarter is directed by Keith Thomas, to whom we owe the horror film The Vigil, which was released in 2020.

And to attract a younger audience to the dark rooms, the team entrusted the role of Charlie’s father to Zac Efron. This is the first time the actor has played the role of a father in a feature film.

The latter also trusts And Canada To create a Andy character inspired by his father. “I personally have a very good relationship with my own father and I was thinking about what he would do and how he would react to the specific cases of the film.. “

Director Keith Thomas explains: “Zack wanted to explore the paternal dimension of the role. He spent a lot of time with Ryan, before and during filming, to actually develop a relationship with him. This is the kind of investment and enthusiasm we need from the lead actors.. “

This is also the first attack of an American actor more accustomed to comedies in a horror film.

He says about it:I myself am a big fan of horror movies, so I was thrilled with this project when I was offered it.“. He adds:”I remember as a child I saw the first adaptation and I liked it! It was a great pleasure to work with my partners and the technical team to bring these Stephen King classics to a new generation.“.

Charlie version 2022

he is young Ryan Keira Armstrong Which faces Zac Efron. Thus, she will play Drew Barrymore in the role of a little girl endowed with the power of pyrokinesis.

The daughter of comedian Dean Armstrong, she made her debut behind the camera at the age of 7, starring again in the costume series Anne with E, which is available on Netflix in France. Then we find her in the cast of the mini-series The Truth About Harry Kwebert’s case, taken from Joel Dicker’s bestseller, she plays the child version of Nola Kellergan.

Ryan Kiera Armstrong debuted in the horror film Andy Musket’s: Chapter 2, which is also based on the Stephen King novel. He is one of the victims of the horrible flu-like sauce.

In 2021, she is on a Black Widow bill where she plays the child version of Olga Kurilenko and The Tomorrow War, starring Chris Pratt, in which she this time plays Yvonne Strahowski as a child. That same year he joined the tenth season of American Horror History with Sarah Paulson, Evan Peter, and Frances Conroy.

Keith Thomas says about him:There was a kind of incandescence on Ryan that set him apart from the rest. The tension in his eyes was palpable. As soon as we saw it, we realized it was ideal for the role. He knew how to express what Charlie feels when he tries to master his power without the need for explanatory dialogue.“

Firestarter is coming out in theaters this Wednesday.