Lionsgate, which is releasing the adaptation of Stephen King novel The Long Walk this fall, is staying in business with the best-selling super-author.
The company has optioned the rights to King’s 1999 novel The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, setting JT Mollner, the filmmaker behind the well-regarded thriller Strange Darling, to write and direct the adaptation.
The project marks a return to King country for Mollner, who wrote the script for Long Walk, which was directed by Francis Lawrence and opens Sept. 12.
Roy Lee, the producer of Long Walk and Strange Darling, will reteam with Mollner for Tom Gordon. Also producing will be Christine Romero, Ryan Silbert and Andrew Childs. Nathan Kahane, who is transitioning from his post as Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president to independent producer, will also join the project in a producorial capacity.
King’s psychological horror novel centers on the harrowing survival story of a nine-year-old girl named Trisha as she struggles to stay alive after getting lost in the woods alone. With only her Walkman radio playing baseball games to keep her company, the girl’s love of pitcher Tom Gordon begins to manifest in hallucinations that may save her life.
“JT is a filmmaker we believe has a bright future,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Erin Westerman. “Throughout his work, he creates characters, and especially young characters, that are so compelling, heartbreaking, and emotional that they pop off the screen. And of course, that’s what Stephen King does on the page as well. The story of survival and perseverance in The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is timeless. We’ve loved this tale for a long time, and JT is the perfect choice to adapt and direct this King fan favorite.”
Meredith Wieck will oversee the project for Lionsgate alongside Pavan Kalidindi. Phil Strina negotiated the deal on behalf of the studio.
Lee has, over the years, amassed an enviable body of work adapting King’s work, including It and It: Chapter Two, as well as Doctor Sleep, and Salem’s Lot. Long Walk, which will have a panel in Hall H Friday at San Diego Comic-Con, adapts King’s 1979 horror novel and stars a list of next generation Hollywood talent.
Mollner previously wrote and directed the indie psychological thriller Strange Darling, which was released in 2024 and scored a critically acclaimed 96 ercent on Rotten Tomatoes. The film received the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films’ best thriller award in 2025, as well as the STIGES Film Festival Grand People’s Choice Award. In addition, Mollner was honored with the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival best director award for the movie.
Mollner is repped by UTA, World Builder Entertainment, and Jackoway Austen.