After 45 years, Stephen King‘s The Boogeyman may finally be getting a movie of its own. 20th Century Fox is reportedly finalizing a deal to adapt The Boogeyman, from a script by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the writers behind this year’s breakout horror film, A Quiet Place.

broke the story about the new adaptation of The Boogeyman, which was first published in an issue of Cavalier back in 1973.  The story follows a man named Lester Billings as he visits his psychiatrist, Dr. Harper. According to Lester, each of his three children have been killed by the Boogeyman that hides in his closets. And because this is a Stephen King story, Billings knows that Lester’s tale is more than just a grieving parent’s delusion.

In 1978, King republished The Boogeyman as part of Night Shift, a collection of his short stories. The new movie will be the first time that The Boogeyman has been expanded into a full feature, but not the first it has been adapted. King has previously allowed emerging filmmakers to film the story as a short with his “dollar baby deals,” which provided the rights at a rate well below a standard Hollywood deal. One of the most notable Boogeyman shorts was written and directed by Jeff Schiro in 1982, and it was subsequently released on home video.

King has previously expressed his admiration for A Quiet Place, which managed to become a massive hit despite a relatively small budget. King’s stories have also become a hot commodity among studios thanks to the record breaking success of It. We’re very excited to see what Beck and Woods bring to The Boogeyman, and how they will flesh out the original story with new material.

Are you looking forward to seeing The Boogeyman on the big screen? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Simitar Video/Paramount Pictures

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