Following their work together on director Mikael Hafstrom’s 2007 supernatural thriller 1408, Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusack are re-teaming for another Stephen King adaptation. Variety today brings word that Jackson is set to star opposite the previously announced Cusack in the upcoming Cell. Published in 2006, King’s novel is officially described as follows:
Artist Clayton Riddell had been in Boston negotiating a successful deal to sell his comic book project. His joy at finally hitting it big is shattered by an event called The Pulse which causes all those who were using their cell phones at the time of The Pulse to become zombies attacking and killing anyone in their way. Fortunately for Clay, he does not own a cell phone. In the panic to get out of Boston and find his way home to his wife and son in Maine, he is joined by Tom McCourt, a man he meets in the meleé immediately following The Pulse and a young girl, Alice, who they rescue from being killed by one of the “crazies.” The story follows their terrifying journey, avoiding capture—and worse—by the “crazies” who are beginning to “flock” and are led by one they call Raggedy Man as they attempt to reach Maine and a place called Kashwak which they hope will be their salvation.
Jackson can next be seen in Spike Lee’s Oldboy and is set to reprise his Marvel Cinematic Universe role as Nick Fury in next year’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Former Dimension Films president of production and 1408 executive Richard Saperstein is producing Cell through his Genre Company alongside colleagues Brian Witten and Shara Kay.
King co-wrote the screenplay with The Last House on the Left screenwriter Adam Alleca.
