Needful Things

Needful Things is an American feature film of the supernatural thriller genre. It is based on the 1991 novel Needful Things by author Stephen King. The film adaptation was directed by Fraser C. Heston with a screenplay written by W.D. Richter. It was produced by Castle Rock Entertainment and released theatrically on August 27th, 1993. The film stars Ed Harris as Sheriff Alan J. Pangborn with Bonnie Bedelia as Polly Chalmers, Amanda Plummer as Nettie Cobb, J.T. Walsh as Danforth Keeton, III, Ray McKinnon as Deputy Norris Ridgewick, Duncan Fraser as Hugh Priest, Valri Bromfield as Wilma Jerzyck, Shane Meier as Brian Rusk, W. Morgan Sheppard as Father Meehan and Don S. Davis as Reverend Rose. Playing the role of the film's antagonist is Max von Sydow as Leland Gaunt.

Notes & Trivia

 * The tagline for this film is "Buy Now. Pay Later". And ohhhh, how they pay.


 * Production on Needful Things began on November 2nd, 1992. Principal filming concluded on January 17th, 1993.


 * Needful Things was filmed in Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada. The lot where the antique shop was located was filmed at 529 Gibsons Way Road. The diner that Bonnie and Nettie worked at was at Molly's Reach, 647 School Road.


 * The theatrical release of the movie ran at exactly two hours. However, there was a lot of material left on the cutting room floor. TBS aired the complete three hour movie in a four hour time slot (with commercials) on May 22nd, 1996.


 * Needful Things was released on DVD in Region 1 format on August 27th, 2002.


 * Needful Things was released on Blu-ray on June 23rd, 2015.


 * This is Fraser C. Heston's first theatrically released film work as a director. It is also his first, and to date, only film work in the horror genre as a director.


 * Amanda Plummer won the nomination for the category of Best Supporting Actress at the 1993 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Awards, also known as the Saturn Awards.


 * Brian Rusk is the first character to begin the circle of pranks that infect the town.


 * Actor Max von Sydow is also known for playing Jesuit priest Lankester Merrin in the 1973 horror classic The Exorcist.


 * Actress Bonnie Bedelia also played Susan Hunt in the 1979 television adaptation of Stephen King's novel Salem's Lot.


 * Associate producer Gordon Mark was also a series producer on Blade: The Series.


 * Actress Lisa Blount makes an uncredited appearance in the film as Cora Rusk, the mother of Brian Rusk.


 * Actors Ray McKinnon and Lisa Blount will eventually marry each other in 1998.

Bloopers

 * When Hugh Priest shoots Henry Beaufort, it is obviously a stuntman that takes the blow back and not actor Eric Schneider.