Stephen King adaptation The Ten O’Clock People is now Cessation

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

FRIGHT NIGHT/CHILD'S PLAY director Tom Holland has been trying to get an adaptation of Stephen King's short story THE TEN O'CLOCK PEOPLE (from the NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES collection) made for several years now, at one point hoping to have the film out in 2013. Cast members like Justin Long, Chris Evans, and Rachel Nichols have come and gone, and the last news we heard was that Jay Baruchel had signed on to take the lead role.

The Baruchel news was more than a year ago and THE TEN O'CLOCK PEOPLE still hasn't gone into production, but fear not – Stephen King fan site Lilja's Library recently contacted Holland, who confirmed that the adaptation is still in development and revealed that it has undergone a title change, now being called CESSATION.

I don't think either its original title or its new one are all that good. THE TEN O'CLOCK PEOPLE isn't very enticing and, when compared to other one word titles, CESSATION doesn't quite have the ring of an INSIDIOUS or SINISTER.

Reminiscent of THEY LIVE, King's story 

tells of a smoker who returns to his old habit with a cessation drug still in his system, triggering a side effect that reveals a frightening reality in which many people in authority are monsters.

CESSATION is being produced by Don Carmody. In addition to starring in the film, Baruchel is an executive producer on it, along with Pascal Borno, Scott Karol, Nathaniel Kramer, and E.J. Meyers, who wrote the screenplay with Holland.

Holland previously helmed the King adaptations THE LANGOLIERS and THINNER.

Rachel Nichols