Darren Aronofsky might tackle a Stephen King adaptation for his next movie.
Per the InSneider newsletter, Aronofsky is in negotiations to direct Cujo, Netflix’s feature film adaptation of King’s 1981 novel of the same name. The Aronofsky news comes one week after the initial report of Netflix’s reboot plans surfaced.
Vertigo Entertainment’s Roy Lee, the producer behind Companion and A Minecraft Movie, will produce Cujo for Netflix. No writers or actors are attached to the movie.
Aronofsky is best known for directing several psychological thrillers, including 1998’s Pi, 2000’s Requiem for a Dream, 2010’s Black Swan, and 2017’s Mother! Aronofsky also directed 2008’s The Wrestler and 2022’s The Whale. Several actors have won Oscars for their performances in Aronofsky’s movies, including Natalie Portman for Black Swan and Brendan Fraser for The Whale.
Aronofsky’s next film is Caught Stealing, a crime thriller starring Austin Butler, Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, and Liev Schreiber. Caught Stealing arrives in theaters on August 29, 2025.
Based on King’s novel, Cujo chronicles the transformation of the titular Saint Bernard, from a kind dog into a rabid killer after a rabies infection. With Cujo possessed, a mother and her young son become trapped inside a car. As it bakes in the hot sun, the mother must battle Cujo and escape the car if she wants to save her dying son.
Director Lewis Teague adapted Cujo into a feature film in 1983. The movie starred Dee Wallace, Daniel Hugh Kelly, and Danny Pintauro. Cujo grossed over $21 million on a budget of $6 million.
2025 has already featured one movie adaptation of a King story, The Monkey. Two more movies based on King’s works arrive later this year: The Life of Chuck in June and The Running Man in November.
