Stephen King’s Firestarter (1984) – WTF Happened to This Horror Movie?

Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions are bringing us a new adaptation of the Stephen King novel Firestarter (buy a copy HERE) this Friday, May 13th – and while we wait for the new movie to be released, we decided to look at the previous cinematic adaptation of King’s book with a new episode of the WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? video series. Once set to be directed by John Carpenter (who has composed the score for the new version), the 1984 Firestarter (buy it HERE) ended up being directed by Mark L. Lester, and you can hear all about it in the video embedded above.

Scripted by Stanley Mann, Firestarter ’84 has the following synopsis:

As youths, Andy McGee and his future wife, Vicky, participated in secret experiments, allowing themselves to be subjected to mysterious medical tests. Years later, the couple’s daughter, Charlie, begins to exhibit the ability of setting fires solely with her mind. This volatile talent makes the youngster extremely dangerous and soon she becomes a target for the enigmatic agency known as “The Shop.”

The film stars Drew Barrymore, David Keith, Heather Locklear, Martin Sheen, George C. Scott, Louise Fletcher, and Art Carney.

This is what the WTF Happened to This Horror Movie series is all about:

Hollywood has had its fair share of historically troubled productions. Whether it was casting changes, actor deaths, fired directors, in-production rewrites, constant delays, budget cuts or studio edits, these films had every intention to be a blockbuster, but were beset with unforeseen disasters. Sometimes huge hits, sometimes box office bombs. Either way, we have to ask: WTF Happened To This Horror Movie?

The Firestarter 1984 episode of WTF Happened to This Horror Movie was Written by Matthew Pejkovic, Edited by Juan Jimenez, Narrated by Jason Hewlett, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

Some of the previous episodes of the show can be seen below. To see more, head over to our JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!