King was willing to grant the students rights to Stationary Bike under two conditions: First, he’d require a DVD of the finished project; second, he’d require a fee.
Considering Stephen King’s properties are worth millions in many cases, you may think the asking price for Stationary Bike was steep. But the bestselling Master of Horror has a soft spot for up-and-comers, so he was willing to grant the rights to the students in Wales for a pittance: $1!
It’s not a new practice for King; the author has a collection of similar “Dollar Babies”. In an effort to encourage a new generation of visual storytellers, King has long allowed filmmakers access to a chunk of his works (those that aren’t currently owned by major studios).
“We knew already that Stephen King was excellent at supporting education establishments,” instructor Kevin Phillips told Mashable. “[And] we came across this website where, actually, he releases many of his short stories for adaption, you know non-profit of course.”
16-year-old Alfie Evans and 14-year-old Cerys Cliff will develop a screenplay and direct Stationary Bike. The film will also include up to 30 additional students from Blaenau Gwent Film Academy. Not only will this be a huge confidence booster for the young filmmakers and actors, but they will have a chance to submit their finished project to festivals worldwide.
What do you think about Stephen King’s practice of allowing filmmakers access to portions of his library for a dollar? Sound off in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram!