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Author Stephen King, ahead of The Life of Chuck film's release: I’m a chipper guy, I get rid of all dark stuff in books
Stephen King opens up about the cinematic release of The Life of Chuck, his liking for Jason Statham, and how he found the movie Transformers (2007) ridiculous
So vividly drawn is writer Stephen King’s fiction that it has already been the basis for over 50 feature films. For half a century, since Brian De Palma’s 1976 film Carrie, Hollywood has turned, and turned again, to King’s books for their richness of character, nightmare, and sheer entertainment. As the adaptation of his 2020 doomsday novella gears up for a cinematic release, the author says, “In The Life of Chuck, we understand that this guy’s life is cut short, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t experience joy... Existential dread and grief and things are part of the human experience, but so is joy.”
The 77-year-old has penned around 80 books, which have often been fodder for the movies and the author is a self-confessed moviegoer. “I love anything from The 400 Blows (1959) to something with that guy Jason Statham,” King says, speaking by phone from his home in Maine (United States). He adds, “The worst movie I ever saw was still a great way to spend an afternoon. The only movie I ever walked out on was Transformers (2007). At a certain point I said, ‘This is just ridiculous’.”
Adding how he’s always happy writing, King adds, “I’m a very chipper guy because I get rid of all that dark stuff in the books.” Dark stuff, such as the kind of climate change disaster found in The Life of Chuck, which King says often dominates his anxieties.
“We’re creeping up little by little on being the one country who does not acknowledge it’s a real problem with carbon in the atmosphere. That’s crazy. Certain right-wing politicians can talk all they want about how we’re saving the world for our grandchildren. They don’t care about that. They care about money,” he opines.
