Last Updated on July 28, 2025 by Angel Melanson
Ahead of the release of the JT Mollner-penned The Long Walk, Lionsgate has announced another Stephen King movie is in the works, with the Strange Darling director set to adapt The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon.
King’s 1999 psychological horror novel centers on the harrowing survival story of nine-year-old Trisha as she struggles to stay alive in the woods alone. With only her Walkman radio playing baseball games to keep her company, Trisha’s love of pitcher Tom Gordon begins to manifest in hallucinations that may save her life.
Lionsgate Motion Picture Group president Erin Westerman had this to say of Mollner's upcoming take on The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon:
“JT is a filmmaker we believe has a bright future […] Throughout his work, he creates characters, and especially young characters, that are so compelling, heartbreaking, and emotional that they pop off the screen. And of course, that’s what Stephen King does on the page as well. The story of survival and perseverance in The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon is timeless. We’ve loved this tale for a long time, and JT is the perfect choice to adapt and direct this King fan favorite.”
Roy Lee, producer of The Long Walk and Strange Darling, will reteam with Mollner for The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Also producing will be Christine Romero, Ryan Silbert, Andrew Childs and Nathan Kahane. Steven Schneider will serve as an executive producer, as will Mollner.
A The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon adaptation has been in the works a few times before, with the late George A. Romero and We Need To Talk About Kevin‘s Lynne Ramsay both attached to direct at various points.
Mollner's twisty thriller Strange Darling, starring Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald, was a hit with genre fans back in 2023. The Long Walk, which is directed by The Hunger Games helmer Francis Lawrence, debuts in theaters on September 12. Look out for more on The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon as we get it.
