Want to Make a Stephen King Movie? You Just Need $1 to Buy the Rights
Stephen King, the king of horror, is awesome, and we have just one more piece of evidence of that.
Have you ever wanted to be Stephen King ’s Dollar Baby? No, we are not offering you anything dirty. Back in the 1970s, the acclaimed author decided that he had reached his peak success, and it was time to give something back to the industry.
That’s how the American writer launched his Dollar Baby program that allowed enthusiastic directors to adapt his works into films almost free of charge. King offers anyone willing to buy the rights to one of his short stories for just $1 (no, that’s not a typo).
Any and all beginners are welcome to take part in this program. The only thing they have to do is to apply via a special form on King’s own website. Currently, participants can choose from 23 titles, including Lucky Quarter, Beachworld, and The Woman in the Room.
There are a few conditions, of course. The movie cannot be longer than 45 minutes, it shouldn’t be used commercially or even distributed on the web, and King still owns the rights to the film and may choose to release it if he wants. Filmmakers have to complete their projects over the course of one year and can only show them as part of nonprofit events.
This Dollar Baby program has been active since the ‘70s, and over 40 movie adaptations have been made to date. Has anyone gotten their big break with the help of King’s generous offer?
A few directors have joined Hollywood’s ranks after becoming Dollar Babies, but none are as prominent as Frank Darabont. His adaptation of The Woman in the Room was a semi-finalist for Oscars in 1983, which paved him the way to directing other King stories, such as The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile – the two received a total of three Academy Awards nominations.
Darabont went on to become an acclaimed filmmaker. His other credits include the hit horror series The Walking Dead, the blockbuster Saving Private Ryan, and the fantasy slasher movie A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
This director’s story is truly inspirational. He knew what he wanted and did everything in his power to make his dream come true, which is exactly what the author wanted this program to be. Maybe you ought to take a shot and apply for this chance of a lifetime? Who knows, you might turn out to be the next Frank Darabont.