Lionsgate has announced that JT Mollner will be taking on the task of adapting Stephen King’s novel The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Mollner has previous experience with King’s works, having adapted the screenplay for The Long Walk.
Most recently, Mollner directed and wrote the indie psychological thriller Strange Darling in 2024. The film, which explores a one-night stand spiraling into a tense game of cat and mouse, has received critical acclaim with a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Roy Lee, a producer of both The Long Walk and Strange Darling, will collaborate again with Mollner on this upcoming horror project. Lee has a notable track record producing several Stephen King adaptations, including the It films, Doctor Sleep, and Salem’s Lot.
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon centers on nine-year-old Trisha, who must fight to survive alone in the woods. Her only source of comfort and connection is listening to baseball games featuring pitcher Tom Gordon on her Walkman, which sometimes leads her to hallucinations.
Lionsgate’s President, Erin Westerman, shared why Mollner is an ideal choice to direct this adaptation:
“JT Mollner is a filmmaker we see a promising future in,” Westerman stated. “His work consistently features characters—particularly young ones—that are so vivid, emotional, and compelling they practically leap off the screen. That’s very much in line with Stephen King’s storytelling style. The themes of survival and resilience in The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon are universal, and JT is the perfect director to bring this beloved King story to life.”
While fans await an official release date for The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, they can catch The Long Walk in theaters on September 12th.
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