Firestarter (2022 film)

Last updated

Firestarter
Firestarter (2022) poster.jpg
Release poster
Directed by Keith Thomas
Screenplay by Scott Teems
Based on Firestarter
by Stephen King
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Karim Hussain
Edited byTim Alverson
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • May 13, 2022 (2022-05-13)(United States)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$12 million [1]
Box office$15 million [2] [3]

Firestarter is a 2022 American science fiction horror film directed by Keith Thomas, from a screenplay by Scott Teems, based on Stephen King's novel of the same name, and a remake of the 1984 film of the same name. The film stars Zac Efron, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Sydney Lemmon, Kurtwood Smith, John Beasley (in his final film role), Michael Greyeyes, and Gloria Reuben. It is produced by Jason Blum and Akiva Goldsman under their Blumhouse Productions and Weed Road Pictures banners, respectively, alongside BoulderLight Pictures and Night Platform.

Contents

Firestarter was released in the United States on May 13, 2022, by Universal Pictures simultaneously theatrically and through streaming on Peacock. The film was panned by critics and audiences, with many deeming it to be inferior to the original 1984 film, and grossed $15 million worldwide against a $12 million budget. Armstrong was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress, but it was rescinded due to controversy over her young age. [4]

Plot

In a flashback, baby Charlene "Charlie" McGee sits in her crib, spontaneously setting the room ablaze with her pyrokinesis power and sending her father Andrew "Andy" McGee into a panic. In another flashback, a young Andy and his girlfriend Victoria "Vicky" Tomlinson talk to a doctor in a clinical trial, who explains to them that they will be injected with the experimental chemical drug Lot-6, which secretly gives them supernatural powers: Andy gains telepathy, and Vicky gains telekinesis.

In the present day, Charlie is sitting at the kitchen table after having a nightmare. Her parents join her and Charlie explains that she has been repressing something bad, her powers becoming more unstable. She unintentionally causes a ruckus at her school after exploding a bathroom stall due to anger at being bullied. Andy is shown using his power, "the push", to influence a client to stop smoking, although the strain causes his eyes to bleed.

Meanwhile, in a secret facility, Captain Jane Hollister, leader of the Department of Scientific Intelligence (DSI), is monitoring thermal signatures caused by Charlie's outbursts. She visits Doctor Joseph Wanless, creator of Lot-6 and the resulting superhumans, who implores Hollister to terminate Charlie before her powers become uncontrollable. Hollister enlists fellow superhuman John Rainbird to assist her. Rainbird visits the McGee home, confronting Vicky, who attempts to counterattack with her repressed telekinetic powers. Rainbird kills her, holding Charlie at knifepoint as she and Andy enter the home. Charlie's powers overwhelm him and she sends a concussive burst of flames throughout the house. Andy and Charlie escape into their truck.

On the road, they encounter a man named Irv Manders. After using the push to convince Irv to take them to Boston, they hitch a ride with him, stopping off at his house. After Charlie accidentally stumbles upon his paralyzed wife, Irv flies into a rage before conceding that he occasionally overreacts. Irv sits up all night watching a news report of the incident at the McGee home, which is being framed as murder by Andy. Irv and Andy argue before Andy explains to Irv that he is just trying to protect his daughter. Charlie tells Irv, after speaking telepathically with his wife, that she forgives him for the accident that left her paralyzed, causing him to relent and attempt to protect Andy and Charlie when the police appear due to his prior emergency call. Rainbird appears in the bushes, kills the policemen, and then shoots Irv in the knee before black trucks roll in to pick up Charlie and Andy. Andy uses his push to trick Rainbird so Charlie can escape to a forest. Charlie spends time honing her fire powers before stealing a bike and clothes to follow her father's telepathic message to her from his cell at DSI.

Charlie finds DSI and takes an agent's pass card from him, then kills him after he draws his gun to attack her. She follows a large staircase down to the restricted area where her father is being kept. She reaches her father's glass-fronted cell, from inside which Hollister tells her not to try and burn her, lest she burn her father in the process. Andy tells Charlie that Rainbird, not he, telepathically called for her. Seeing no other way out, and knowing that he will die soon, he apologizes to her and then pushes her to burn the entire place down, starting with Hollister and himself. The now-rogue Charlie sets both on fire, mentally unlocks all the security doors, and walks through the facility killing all of the DSI agents. Rainbird is released when his holding cell is unlocked. Charlie is surrounded by men in hazmat suits, unable to harm them. The men are about to subdue her when Rainbird shoots them from behind. He surrenders to Charlie and kneels for her judgment. Charlie starts to kill him but sees herself in the mirror and, realizing that he is just as much of a pawn as her, she spares him, before finally burning the rest of the building down. Later, Charlie is seen walking onto a beach with Rainbird following behind. With nowhere to go, Charlie allows Rainbird to carry her, and they walk off together into the night.

Cast

Production

On April 27, 2017, Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions announced a remake of Firestarter (1984), with Akiva Goldsman set to direct and produce alongside Jason Blum. [5] On June 28, 2018, Fatih Akin replaced Goldsman as director, with Scott Teems set to write the script. [6] On December 16, 2019, Keith Thomas replaced Akin as director. [7] In September 2020, Zac Efron joined the cast. [8] In February 2021, Michael Greyeyes joined the cast. [9] In June 2021, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Gloria Reuben, and Sydney Lemmon were added to the cast. [10] [11] [12] Principal photography began on May 25, 2021, in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario, [13] [14] and wrapped on July 16. [15]

The score was composed by John Carpenter (who had been offered to direct the 1984 film), Cody Carpenter, and Daniel Davies, who previously collaborated with Blumhouse on Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills (2021). [16] The score was digitally released on May 13, 2022, by Back Lot Music and on LP/CD and Cassette in October by Sacred Bones Records. [17]

Release

Firestarter was released in wide theaters by Universal Pictures and on Peacock in the United States on May 13, 2022. [18] Over its first week of streaming, the film was watched in two million households. [19]

Home media

The film was released on VOD on June 12, 2022, and then on DVD and Blu-ray on June 28, 2022, 45 days after its theatrical release.

Reception

Box office

Firestarter grossed $9.7 million in the United States and Canada and $5.3 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $15 million. [2]

In the United States and Canada, the film was released alongside Family Camp , and was projected to gross $5–7 million from 3,412 theaters in its opening weekend. It made $1.54 million on its first day, including $375,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $3.8 million, finishing fourth at the box office. [1] [20] The film made $2 million in its second weekend. [21] It dropped out of the box office top ten in its third weekend with $285,270, [22] and returned in its fifth weekend once put in a drive-in theater double feature with Jurassic World Dominion , earning $833,340, [23] only to fall once again in its sixth with $182,365. [24]

Outside the US and Canada, the film earned $2.1 million from 40 markets in its opening weekend. [25] It made $833,000 from 46 markets in its second weekend. [26]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 11% of 161 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.6/10.The website's consensus reads: "There was plenty of room to improve on the original, but Firestarter trips over that low bar and tumbles toward the bottom of the long list of Stephen King adaptations ." [27] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 32 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. [28] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C−" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported 50% of audience members gave it a positive score, with 27% saying they would definitely recommend it. [1]

On Common Sense Media, Jeffrey Anderson gave it a 1/5 rating, stating, "Thoroughly bland and uninspired, this cheap-looking adaptation of Stephen King's 1980 novel just goes through the motions, failing to deliver any thrills or scares and feeling utterly pointless." [29] Benjamin Lee of The Guardian also gave it 1/5 stars, writing, "No one here seems to know what they're doing and, more importantly, why. A strong contender for 2022's most pointless movie." [30] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "while it has a few genuine scares... it never achieves the deliriously freaky heights one expects from a film version of one of King's cheesier novels." [31]

Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave it 3/4 stars, calling it "A combustible supernatural thriller that embraces its borderline campy qualities and works well enough as 21st century drive-in escapist fare." [32]

Future

In May 2022, Thomas stated that there are ongoing discussions to possibly expand the film into a franchise, acknowledging that this may be in the form of sequel, prequel, or spin-off media. [33]

Related Research Articles

<i>Firestarter</i> (novel) 1980 novel by Stephen King

Firestarter is a science fiction-horror thriller novel by Stephen King, first published in September 1980. It tells the story of a young girl, Charlie McGee with the ability of pyrokinesis, whose destructive force a ruthless government agency tries to harness for their own purposes. In July and August 1980, two excerpts from the novel were published in Omni. In 1981, Firestarter was nominated as Best Novel for the British Fantasy Award, Locus Poll Award, and Balrog Award.

<i>Firestarter: Rekindled</i> 2002 television film directed by Robert Iscove

Firestarter: Rekindled is an American two-part television miniseries. It serves as a sequel to the 1984 film adaptation of the 1980 Stephen King novel Firestarter. It stars Marguerite Moreau as now-adult Charlie McGee, along with Danny Nucci, Dennis Hopper, and Malcolm McDowell as Charlie's old nemesis from the original story, John Rainbird. It debuted as a Sci Fi Pictures miniseries on the Sci Fi Channel over two nights in March 2002.

<i>Firestarter</i> (1984 film) 1984 film by Mark L. Lester

Firestarter is a 1984 American science fiction horror film based on Stephen King's 1980 novel of the same name. The plot concerns a girl who develops pyrokinesis and the secret government agency known as The Shop which seeks to control her. The film was directed by Mark L. Lester, and stars David Keith, Drew Barrymore, Martin Sheen and George C. Scott. Firestarter was shot in and around Wilmington, Chimney Rock, and Lake Lure, North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zac Efron</span> American actor (born 1987)

Zachary David Alexander Efron is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence as a teen idol for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the High School Musical trilogy (2006–2008). During this time, he also starred in the musical film Hairspray (2007) and the comedy film 17 Again (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Greyeyes</span> Canadian actor

Michael Greyeyes is an Indigenous Canadian actor, dancer, choreographer, director, and educator.

<i>Neighbors</i> (2014 film) 2014 American film

Neighbors is a 2014 American bromantic comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and written by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O'Brien. The film stars Seth Rogen and Zac Efron with Rose Byrne, Dave Franco, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse in supporting roles. The plot follows a couple who come into conflict with a fraternity that has recently moved in next door, which leads them into an all out war.

<i>Baywatch</i> (film) 2017 film by Seth Gordon

Baywatch is a 2017 American action comedy film directed by Seth Gordon, with a screenplay by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, from a story by Jay Scherick, David Ronn, Thomas Lennon, and Robert Ben Garant. It is based on the television series created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Gregory J. Bonann and takes place within the same fictional universe. The film stars Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron. The story follows lifeguard Mitch Buchannon and his team who must take down a drug lord in an effort to save their beach.

<i>Collide</i> (2016 film) Action thriller film

Collide is a 2016 action thriller film directed by Eran Creevy, who also co-wrote it with F. Scott Frazier. The film stars Nicholas Hoult, Felicity Jones, Marwan Kenzari, Ben Kingsley, and Anthony Hopkins. The plot follows two young Americans living in Germany who must complete a drug theft from a crime boss in order to pay for a medical operation.

<i>Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising</i> 2016 American film

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising is a 2016 American comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and written by Stoller, Andrew J. Cohen, Brendan O'Brien, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. A sequel to Neighbors (2014), the plot follows the Radners having to outwit a new sorority led by Shelby, living next door to sell their house currently in escrow. Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jerrod Carmichael, Ike Barinholtz, Carla Gallo, Hannibal Buress, and Lisa Kudrow reprise their roles from the first film; it was Rogen's first live-action sequel. The film premiered on April 26, 2016, in Berlin and was released on May 20, 2016, in the United States, receiving mostly positive reviews and grossed $108 million worldwide.

<i>Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile</i> 2019 film by Joe Berlinger

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is a 2019 American biographical true crime drama film about the life of serial killer Ted Bundy. Directed by Joe Berlinger with a screenplay from Michael Werwie, the film is based on Bundy's former girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall's memoir, The Phantom Prince: My Life with Ted Bundy. The film stars Zac Efron as Bundy, Lily Collins as Kendall, Kaya Scodelario as Bundy's wife Carole Ann Boone, and John Malkovich as Edward Cowart, the presiding judge at Bundy's trial. The title of the film is a reference to Cowart's remarks on Bundy's murders while sentencing him to death.

<i>Ma</i> (2019 film) 2019 American psychological horror film

Ma is a 2019 American psychological horror film, co-produced and directed by Tate Taylor. It stars Octavia Spencer, Juliette Lewis, Diana Silvers, Corey Fogelmanis, Gianni Paolo, McKaley Miller and Luke Evans and follows a group of teenagers who befriend a lonely middle-aged woman. She lets them party in her basement, and they end up being terrorized by her. The film was produced by Jason Blum through his Blumhouse Productions company, along with Tate Taylor and John Norris.

<i>The Invisible Man</i> (2020 film) 2020 film by Leigh Whannell

The Invisible Man is a 2020 science fiction horror film written and directed by Leigh Whannell. It is based on H. G. Wells's novel of the same name and a reboot of the 1933 film of the same name. It is the seventh installment in The Invisible Man franchise. It stars Elisabeth Moss as a woman who believes she is being stalked and gaslit by her ex-boyfriend after he acquires the ability to become invisible. Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer, and Michael Dorman appear in supporting roles.

<i>Vengeance</i> (2022 film) 2022 American black comedy film by B. J. Novak

Vengeance is a 2022 American black comedy mystery film written and directed by B. J. Novak in his directorial debut. It stars Novak, Boyd Holbrook, Dove Cameron, Issa Rae and Ashton Kutcher. Jason Blum is a producer under his Blumhouse Productions banner, and Greg Gilreath and Adam Hendricks are producers under their Divide/Conquer banner.

Salem's Lot is an upcoming American supernatural horror film written and directed by Gary Dauberman, based on Stephen King's 1975 novel 'Salem's Lot. Produced by New Line Cinema, Atomic Monster, and Vertigo Entertainment, the film stars Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp, Pilou Asbæk, Alfre Woodard, and William Sadler.

<i>The Black Phone</i> 2021 film by Scott Derrickson

The Black Phone is a 2021 American supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill, who both produced with Jason Blum. It is an adaptation of the 2004 short story of the same name by Joe Hill. The film stars Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, and Ethan Hawke. In the film, an abducted teenager uses a mysterious black rotary dial phone to communicate with the previous victims of his deranged captor in order to escape.

<i>They/Them</i> (film) 2022 American film by John Logan

They/Them is a 2022 American slasher film written and directed by John Logan, in his feature directorial debut, and produced by Jason Blum through his Blumhouse Productions banner. It stars Theo Germaine, Carrie Preston, Anna Chlumsky, Austin Crute, Quei Tann, Anna Lore, Cooper Koch, Monique Kim, Darwin del Fabro, Hayley Griffith, Boone Platt, Mark Ashworth, and Kevin Bacon, and follows a group of LGBTQ teens and a masked killer at a conversion camp.

Scott Teems is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for his work on That Evening Sun (2009), The Quarry (2020), Halloween Kills (2021), Firestarter (2022) and Insidious: The Red Door (2023).

Ryan Kiera Armstrong is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Charlie McGee in the 2022 film Firestarter and Alma Gardner in the television mini-series American Horror Story: Red Tide. She also portrayed Brooke in the Western The Old Way (2023).

References

  1. 1 2 3 D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 15, 2022). "Wizard Wobble A Wake-Up Call For Marvel As Doctor Strange 2 Falls 67% In Weekend 2; Audiences Run Cold On Firestarter". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on May 15, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Firestarter (2022) - Financial Information". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Firestarter (2022)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  4. ↑ Lee, Benjamin (2023-01-25). "Razzie awards remove 12-year-old from worst actress category after backlash". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2023-02-09. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  5. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 27, 2017). "'Firestarter': Stephen King Classic Reignites With Universal, Blumhouse & Akiva Goldsman morning Directing". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  6. ↑ Kroll, Justin (June 28, 2018). "'In the Fade' Director to Take on Stephen King's 'Firestarter' for Universal, Blumhouse (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  7. ↑ Kroll, Justin (December 16, 2019). "'Firestarter' Reboot Taps 'Vigil' Filmmaker to Direct". Variety . Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  8. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 29, 2017). "Zac Efron Joins Universal-Blumhouse's 'Firestarter' Reboot". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
  9. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 10, 2021). "Michael Greyeyes Joins Blumhouse's Stephen King Pic 'Firestarter'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  10. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 2, 2021). "'Firestarter': Blumhouse Reboot Of Stephen King Classic Finds Its Charlie In Ryan Kiera Armstrong – First Look". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 9, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  11. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 4, 2021). "Gloria Reuben Joins Blumhouse's 'Firestarter' & Showtime Anthology Series 'The First Lady'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  12. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 28, 2021). "'Firestarter': Blumhouse Reboot Of Stephen King Classic Adds Sydney Lemmon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Firestarter - Production Listing". Productionlist.com. March 15, 2021. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  14. ↑ Eisenberg, Eric (May 25, 2021). "Zac Efron's Firestarter Has Begun Filming, And They Celebrated With Wild, Fiery Video". CinemaBlend . Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  15. ↑ Lund, Anthony (July 19, 2021). "Firestarter Remake Wraps Filming, Zac Efron Shares One Final Set Photo". MovieWeb . Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  16. ↑ "John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter & Daniel Davies Scoring Keith Thomas' Firestarter". Film Music Reporter. Archived from the original on 2022-02-09. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  17. ↑ "Firestarter Soundtrack Album Details". filmmusicreporter.com. April 20, 2022. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
  18. ↑ Shanfeld, Ethan (February 9, 2022). "Firestarter Remake with Zac Efron Debuts Trailer, Sets Day-and-Date Release on Peacock". Variety. Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  19. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 15, 2022). "'Don't Worry Darling' Clears Near 3M Households In First Week On HBO Max". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 19". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 20". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 21". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  23. ↑ Squires, John (June 15, 2022). "'Firestarter' Just Got an Unexpected Box Office Boost from 'Jurassic World Dominion'". Bloody Disgusting . Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Domestic 2022 Weekend 24". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  25. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (May 15, 2022). "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Rings Up $688M Global After Two Weekends; How High Can Cloak & Swagger Go? – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  26. ↑ Tartaglione, Nancy (May 22, 2022). "Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Enters $800M+ Dimension WW; Uncharted Tops $400M & Bad Guys Crosses $100M Overseas – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Firestarter". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved December 2, 2022. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  28. ↑ "Firestarter". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Firestarter Movie Review | Common Sense Media". www.commonsensemedia.org. Archived from the original on 2023-02-16. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  30. ↑ Lee, Benjamin (2022-05-13). "Firestarter review – soggy Stephen King remake struggles to ignite". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  31. ↑ Scheck, Frank (2022-05-13). "Zac Efron in 'Firestarter': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  32. ↑ Roeper, Richard (2022-05-13). "'Firestarter': Dark tone, solid acting ignite Stephen King thriller". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  33. ↑ Cavanaugh, Patrick (May 9, 2022). "Firestarter Director Teases 'All Sorts of Ideas' for Expanding Stephen King Franchise". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved May 11, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.