Black Swan's Darren Aronofsky reportedly in talks to direct Netflix's new take on Stephen King horror Cujo

Cujo (1983)
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Netflix's new take on Stephen King horror Cujo might have just found its director in Black Swan's Darren Aronofsky. No writer or actors have been linked to the project just yet.

According to a report published by The Insneider, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker is believed to be in negotiations to helm the flick and given his previous works, which include Requiem for a Dream, The Whale, and mother!, we can only imagine the psychological torment he'll put us through if he does.

Published in 1981, Cujo explores the tragic fallout of a once-friendly Saint Bernard being bitten by rabid bats, after he chases a rabbit down a bolt hole and runs into a bunch of the bloodsuckers. The encounter turns the eponymous pooch into a killer canine, who soon sets his sights on stay-at-home mom Donna and her four-year-old son Tad, after terrorizing the rest of the small town. 

The pair retreat to Donna's tiny car for safety, but with the gnashing, bloodthirsty beast pacing outside, can they cling onto their wits as well as their lives? Two years later, The Cat's Eye's Lewis Teague adapted the story into a feature-length picture starring Dee Wallace, Daniel Hugh Kelly, and Danny Pintauro. Despite mixed reviews, its modest box office takings, and its controversial twist on King's original ending, the film has earned a cult following in the 42 years since its release.

Whoever winds up directing it, Cujo is set to mark Netflix's fifth movie based on King's works, following Mr. Harrigan's Phone, 1922, In the Tall Grass, and Gerald's Game. The streamer also released a TV show inspired by The Mist in 2017.

Aronofsky recently wrapped filming on thriller Caught Stealing, which sees Austin Butler play Henry "Hank" Thompson, a former baseball champ who gets mixed up in New York City's criminal underbelly in the early 1990s.

While we wait for more info on Netflix's Cujo, check out our picks of the most exciting upcoming horror movies heading our way.

Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.

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