DARABONT DEVELOPING MIST

Writer and director Frank Darabont told SCI FI Wire that he will work on an adaptation of Stephen King's novella "The Mist" after he finishes scripts for the upcoming fourth Indiana Jones movie and for Fahrenheit 451, based on Ray Bradbury's classic SF novel. Darabont's relationship with King—stemming from his work directing the King film adaptations The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile—helped him gain King's blessing for the project, he said.

"He's always given me a very free hand [with his stories], which is really lovely," Darabont said in an interview. "Based on how it's gone before, I write the script, I [send] it to him, he reads it, and he says, 'Great, good luck.' And off I go. We've become really good pals. He's a great guy."

Darabont said that he is still at work on Indy IV and that Fahrenheit will take another three months to write after Indy is finished. He plans to direct Fahrenheit as well, but hopes to write Mist before the end of 2003.