New Stephen King Film Mister Yummy Heads to Development

Stephen King returns to the big screen with Mister Yummy

The cinematic world keeps circling back to Stephen King, and the next stop is Mister Yummy — a feature adaptation of one of the short stories from King's 2015 collection The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. Intrinsic Value Films has announced development of the project, signaling another chapter in Hollywood’s long-running fascination with the master of modern horror.

What the story promises

Mister Yummy centers on Ellie Franklin, a woman haunted by mortality, aging, and an overwhelming sense of regret. The original tale is intimate and psychological, leaning less on spectacle and more on the slow-building dread that turns regret itself into a persistent, almost physical presence. The studio describes the film as a "haunting narrative," hinting that the adaptation will emphasize mood, character, and existential terror over jump scares.

Why this matters: after recent critical successes adapting King — including The Monkey directed by Agnieszka Perković and The Long Walk from Francis Lawrence — there’s renewed appetite for faithful, artistically ambitious takes on his shorter works. Mister Yummy fits a broader trend where filmmakers mine King’s shorter fiction for concentrated, character-driven horror that translates well to a single film.

Production status and industry context Script duties are being handled by Troy Blake with producer Thomas Mahony attached. No director, cast, or distributor have been announced yet; Intrinsic Value Films plans to shop the title at the American Film Market, a typical marketplace move for independent studios seeking partners and distribution deals.

This development arrives amid a wave of King projects: Warner Bros. announced a Billy Summers adaptation in 2023, while Mike Flanagan is developing a Carrie series for Prime Video starring Summer H. Howell, Sienna Agudong, Matthew Lillard, and Samantha Sloyan. Together, these projects show studios favoring varied approaches to King’s catalogue — from miniseries and prestige streaming adaptations to lean, cinematic horrors.

Comparisons and fan context Mister Yummy’s focus on inner demons and regret aligns it more with character-driven King adaptations like 1922 or Gerald’s Game than with creature features such as It. Fans who appreciate slow-burn psychological horror will likely be most excited; those expecting grand spectacle may be surprised by a quieter, more introspective tone.

Trivia: Mister Yummy first appeared in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (2015), a collection King wrote in his later career that many readers regard as rich with mature, reflective themes.

Whether Mister Yummy becomes a festival darling, an indie hit, or a streaming standout will depend on the creative team it attracts at AFM and beyond. For now, it’s a reminder that King’s smaller stories can still generate big interest — and that horror cinema remains hungry for intelligent adaptations.

Concluding note: Keep an eye on Intrinsic Value Films at the next market — Mister Yummy could be one of those quiet, unnerving films that lingers long after the credits roll.

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