We primarily know the late, great Stan Lee for his legion of creations for Marvel Comics. Mainly, characters he created for the publisher from 1961 to 1971. But he did a lot of writing outside of Marvel Comics this is far less known. And now, according to a report in Deadline, some of these lesser-known characters are coming soon to the big screen. Specifically, Lee’s horror-themed concepts. Wanted and Night Watch director Timur Bekmambetov, together with Lee’s POW! Entertainment, is developing a cinematic universe based Stan’s spookier works. First up? Sawbones and Carnival of Killers.
The first project is Sawbones. It follows a frail 12-year-old, Alex Covin, who reads a mysterious comic book that transports him into its terrifying world. One containing a haunted Juvenile Detention Center overrun by demonic forces. These forces follow Sawbones, a homicidal entity that preys upon the troubled inmates. Alex wonders if he is losing his mind. But it’s possible this nightmarish world is his new reality. If he is to escape, Alex must defeat Sawbones. But he quickly realizes that Sawbones is the keeper of his darkness. And the personification of all his worst fears.
The second project is Carnival of Killers. They set this story amid the Dust Bowl storms that ravaged the American Great Plains in the Depression-era of the 1930s. It centers around a young girl with psychic abilities. She senses that the traveling carnival she and her mother sought refuge in is the launching pad for an alien invasion. Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, who directed the remake of Pet Sematary, are writing Carnival of Killers. Their Pet Sematary co-writer Matt Greenberg will be writing the screenplay for Sawbones. A cinematic universe usually needs more than two entries, so one would assume that there are more horror franchises from Stan Lee that have yet to be announced.
We look forward to seeing this darker cinematic universe unfold. We know Stan Lee’s horror stories will keep us up at night.
