Is Robert McCammon About to Dethrone Stephen King in Horror?
After 38 years, Robert McCammon’s post-apocalyptic epic Swan Song is finally headed to TV. Move over The Stand, The Shining, It—there’s a new contender aiming for Stephen King’s crown.
File this under finally: Robert McCammon's cult-favorite apocalypse epic 'Swan Song' is officially headed to TV. The book dropped 38 years ago, snagged a Bram Stoker Award in 1987, and has been sitting in the same conversation as Stephen King's end-of-the-world work ever since. Now it might actually get to muscle in on King's lane.
Who's steering this thing
Per the trades, Russell Rothberg is running the show and also writing and executive producing. The project is a team-up between Monarch Media and Greg Nicotero and Brian Witten's Monster Agency Productions, with Nicotero directing the pilot on top of his EP duties.
- Showrunner/writer/executive producer: Russell Rothberg
- Producers: Monarch Media and Monster Agency Productions (Greg Nicotero, Brian Witten)
- Pilot director: Greg Nicotero
- Executive producers: Steve Barnett, Alan Powell, Vicky Patel (via Monarch Media), Robert McCammon
- Co-producer: Brandi Hagedorn
'Being a longtime fan of Robert's novels, his story of survival in a world forever changed by political mistrust and international intrigue intertwined with a supernatural force has always been one of my favorites.'
So what is 'Swan Song' actually about?
Picture the world after a nuclear showdown triggered by the U.S. government facing off with a uniquely malevolent enemy. Civilization is toast. What's left is a savage landscape of roaming armies and things that are not exactly human. In the middle of that: a little girl named Swan, who can sense life and coax it back from the ashes. She's protected by Josh, a former pro wrestler who becomes her de facto guardian.
Elsewhere, a woman known as Sister stumbles onto a strange glass artifact that seems tied to whatever future humanity has left. And because no apocalypse story is complete without a nightmare catalyst, there's the Man with the Scarlet Eye, a relentless, supernatural presence intent on finishing the job and pushing the world into total ruin. That's the chessboard.
Why fans are buzzing
'Swan Song' has long been the book people press into your hands if you liked King's 'The Stand' but wanted it gnarlier and a bit more mystical. With Nicotero on the pilot and Rothberg steering, the series is positioned to sit right alongside King's territory, including the 1994 miniseries take on 'The Stand.' If this clicks, we could be looking at a new tentpole for the post-apocalyptic horror crowd.
What we still don't know
Casting and production specifics are under wraps for now, and no premiere window has been floated yet. But the creative lineup is stacked, the rights-holder (McCammon) is in the EP mix, and the source material comes with awards pedigree. Translation: this one is real, and it could be big.