Hollywood : Plan Bhas optioned feature rights to The Jaunt, the 1981 Stephen Kingshort story about teleportation travel. The company has attached Andy Muschiettiand Barbara Muschietti, the duo behind the 2013 horror film Mama. It’s early days, but this will be developed for Andy to direct. Plan B hasn’t set it with a studio yet, but principals Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner have a first-look deal with New Regency and RatPac Entertainment.

King first published the short story inTwilight Zone Magazine, but gained prominence in his short-story anthologySkeleton Crew, published in 1985. It’s a futuristic tale that takes place in the 24th century, as a father explains the ground rules for “Jaunting,” a form of teleportation the family will be using shortly to go to Mars.

The key is that travelers must be under anesthesia for the short journey, or terrible things happen to the mindof those being jaunted around the solar system. Time stands still and one’s brain implodes with too much time to think in an absence of external stimulation. Bad things happen.

King has as much percolating right now as probably any time in his long career of having his great works of fiction turned into films and TV.11/22/63 is with JJ Abrams and Warner Bros TV, with James Franco set to star; MRC has The Dark Tower, with Ron Howard directing and Akiva Goldsman writing, and Brian Grazer producing with Goldsman, Howard and King; Joylandis at TNT with Bill Haber;Mr. Mercedesis with David E. Kelley, Temple Hill’sMarty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey, Jack Bender and Sonar;Under The Domeis at CBS, with Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks TV; andThe Things They Left Behindis withGreg Berlanti, Warner Bros TV and CBS. (BollywoodChain.Com)