Ben Stiller to direct and star in adaptation of Stephen King story Rat

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Last week, we heard that Blumhouse, Ryan Murphy, and Netflix are teaming up for an adaptation of the Stephen King story MR. HARRIGAN'S PHONE, with John Lee Hancock set to write and direct the film. MR. HARRIGAN'S PHONE is part of King's recently released short story collection IF IT BLEEDS (which you can buy HERE), and it's not the only story that has already been optioned.

Ben Stiller has picked up the rights to the story RAT, and he's planning to produce, direct, and star in the film adaptation.

In case you haven't read RAT yet (which would be understandable, since IF IT BLEEDS only reached store shelves at the end of April), the story focuses on, as so many King stories do, a writer. This writer is 

a man named Drew Larson, who has an acclaimed short story to his credit. He's given himself over to academia because every time he tries to turn a good idea into a novel, things go seriously bad – mentally, physically, or both. But his latest concept, a Western thriller, is gangbusters, and he goes out to an old family cabin in the woods to get the novel done. When storms, insecurities, and sickness hit, Drew strikes a sinister bargain with a rat that turns out to be a thought-provoking spin on a "Monkey's Paw" situation. The rat offers to get rid of his writer's block in exchange for one of Larson's loved ones dying…

It sounds like Stiller intends to play Drew Larson himself. I haven't read RAT, but I am very intrigued by the idea of Stiller directing and starring in a Stephen King movie. I look forward to seeing how this turns out.

It's early days for this adaptation, but we'll keep you updated as more information becomes available.