Fatih Akin — the German director behind last year's Golden Globe winner In the Fade — will direct Firestarter for Universal and Blumhouse.


The 1980 Stephen King book, which will be adapted by Scott Teems, follows a young girl with pyrokinetic abilities who is abducted by a secret government agency that wants to harness her powerful gift as a weapon.


Firestarter was previously made into a feature in 1984, starring a young Drew Barrymore, Heather Locklear and Martin Sheen.


Jason Blum and Akiva Goldsman will produce, with Martha de Laurentiis, who was an associate producer on the 1984 movie, set to executive produce.


Firestarter will be the first big studio feature for Akin, who won a Golden Bear in Berlin for his film Head On, and best screenplay in Cannes for Edge of Heaven.