Richard Price To Script MRC 10-Episode Series Adaptation Of Stephen King’s ‘The Outsider;’ Jack Bender, Marty Bowen EPs

EXCLUSIVE: Media Rights Capital is back in business with Stephen King, its partner on The Dark Tower. MRC has optioned the Stephen King #1 bestselling novel The Outsider. MRC plans a 10-episode limited series adaptation, and they have secured Richard Price to write it. Jack Bender and Marty Bowen are exec producing with MRC. Bender and Bowen teamed on the series Mr. Mercedes, and Bender is a possible to direct the pilot for The Outsider. King has the option to join as executive producer. MRC will develop the show with Price writing the pilot before they set it at a network.

The thriller is an is-he or isn’t-he an innocent man accused of a horrible crime story, a theme King has covered in past fiction like Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, which became the film classic The Shawshank Redemption. Here, the main character is Terry Maitland, one of Flint City’s most storied citizens. A Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls, Maitland is arrested in front of everyone and charged with the grotesque murder of an 11-year old. Even though Maitland has an iron clad alibi — he was at a conference and seen by witnesses, his DNA was found at the murder scene along with fingerprints.

Many of King’s thriller work well in feature film format, but Mr. Mercedes, which started a three book series and is going into a second season at Audience Network, showed that a slow burn in a limited series is a pleasing way to go. Mr. Mercedes attracted David E. Kelley, and The Outsider brings to the small screen the talents of bestselling novelist and screenwriter Price, whose credits range from The Wanderers to Sea of Love, Clockers, and on the small screen The Night Of and The Deuce.

King’s repped by Paradigm, and Price is UTA.