How Paul Campion became the Frank Darabont to my Stephen King

Fearnet has an extensive interview with Paul Campion about the success of THE DEVIL’S ROCK, its sequel, how he and I became friends, and the latest on his adaptations of my works DARK HOLLOW, KILL WHITEY, and THE SIQQUSIM WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS. You can read the interview in its entirety here.

Film-making is an even stranger and more cutthroat business than writing and publishing, and I learned long ago not to trust 90% of the people involved in it. My advice to authors about to sign their first option is usually “get paid a lot up front” because all-too-often that’s the only money you will see. Even if the film is made, and even if it’s successful, and even if you managed to negotiate a contract that says you’ll continue to get paid, Hollywood has all sorts of creative accounting tricks to show how a profitable film actually isn’t, and therefore they don’t owe you money. Then there are the yahoos who option your work and tie it up for years with no intention of making the movie, but simply to have it in their portfolio because you’re considered “hot” or “edgy”. There are all sorts of other pitfalls and soul-sucks, too. I’ve written about much of this at length in SUNDANCING, which is out of print, but usually available on the secondary market. Long ago, I decided my rule when dealing with anyone involved with film-making was to get as many steak dinners and first class flights and up-front money as I could, because things often never progress beyond that, and not get close to anyone other than business-friendly.

Paul is one of the few exceptions to my rule (along with a handful of others such as William Miller, Damien Maffei, Mike Lombardo, etc). I’ve known Paul for a decade. He’s become a dear friend, and I trust him implicitly. Further, I trust his vision for my books. It took Frank Darabont over a decade to make THE MIST. As Paul says in the interview above, it took twenty years for DALLAS BUYERS CLUB to get made. I don’t care how long it takes — Paul Campion is the only person I trust to make DARK HOLLOW and KILL WHITEY. You’ll see them when he’s done.