Kent filmmaker working on adaptation of Stephen King short story 'Nona'

Ohio occupies an interesting place in the horror movie zeitgeist.

It's chock-full of haunted locales, movies are set and filmed here, and some of the most recognizable names in the genre are connected to the state in some way. Wes Craven, for example, hails from Cleveland, and set his 1984 film, "A Nightmare on Elm Street" in fictional Springwood, Ohio.

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Filmmaker Brandon Lazenko, a Stow native and Kent State University graduate who now lives in Kent, is working to add his name to the list of notable Ohio horror luminaries.

His latest project, which he's producing and directing, "October Roses," is a short film adaptation of Stephen King's short story "Nona," published in King's 1978 "Shadows" anthology.

"I have written it to be kind of timeless," Lazenko said. " But aesthetically it takes place in the '60s, 70s."

The plot revolves around a retired professor hitchhiking back to his hometown. A storm forces him into a roadhouse where he meets a woman named Nona.

"From there she just, kind of like a succubus, traps him and he starts making decisions maybe he wouldn't make if she wasn't involved in the situation," Lazenko said.

The humanity at the heart of the story is what attracted him to pursue making "October Roses."

"It's the story of what seems to be an ordinary person being put into an extraordinary situation and seeing how that unravels," said Lazenko.

Lazenko is reluctant to give too much of the plot away. However, he said, his interpretation differs from King's version of the story.

"We had to look at the story and figure out how we can make the budget we have to make it," said Lazenko. "So there's some things that we had to cut out, and some things we needed to re-work to make the story work with the money that we anticipate having."

Typically, buying the rights to a story for a film adaptation can be costly, but "Nona" was a part of King's Dollar Baby program.

Since 1977, King has been granting permission for his short stories to be adapted by independent filmmakers and students for $1 with the stipulations that he retains the film rights, that the film from the dollar deal not be released commercially without prior approval, and that he receive a copy of the finished work.

As is tradition in independent horror, Lazenko is working within slim budgeting margins. The production is projected to require $60,000, which the cast, crew, and producers are working diligently to secure. Currently, there's an active Seed and Spark campaign.

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A nine-tier donation system includes different incentives to donate. At $10, backers get a personalized shout-out on social media. Merchandise, props, signed scripts and artwork, and the chance to attend a table-read of the script are also among the incentives provided for higher dollar donations.

At the priciest end of the spectrum, generous souls donating $5,000 will be given an executive producer credit, an expenses-paid visit to the set (travel costs not included), the opportunity to purchase any trophies the film garners at festivals, and all lower tier incentives.

Lazenko has been working to get the word out about the film in order to secure funding by Aug. 1, so that filming can begin on Aug. 16. His hope is that he'll find his white whale investor.

"I know that there is somebody out there that is a horror-Stephen King-film enthusiast that has an expendable $60,000 and would be in a mutually beneficial situation where they would get to be a part of a really cool experience, and we would get to make something cool to show to people," Lazenko said.

In addition to the Seed and Spark campaign, there have been two in-person fundraising events held so far. On July 15, cast and crew descended on Dynasty Lanes in Willard, Ohio for their second fundraiser; a night of movie trivia, bowling, raffles, and a silent auction.

Two nights before, at the Red Fox Sports Pub & Grille in Cuyahoga Falls, the production hosted its first fundraiser that was much the same as the second — movie trivia, silent auction, and raffles — but was attended by two of "October Roses'" executive producers: horror icon Robert Kurtzman and his wife Marcy King (no relation to Stephen King), both Ohio natives themselves.

Kurtzman, in addition to his extensive career as a special make-up effects artist and occasional director, also has past experience working on Stephen King adaptations, as does Marcy. Recently, they worked together under Kurtzman's effects company, Robert Kurtzman MUFX on "Gerald's Game" and "Doctor Sleep."

Securing their involvement was a matter of asking. Lazenko said he reached out to Marcy and her husband out of the blue and pitched them the project. He made the call on Friday the 13th, a lucky day for him, he said.

When Marcy heard from Lazenko about the low budget they were working with, Lazenko said she was unsure about how to help.

"I continued to explain that we are Ohio-based filmmakers," Lazenko said. "We're bringing on Kent State students as an opportunity to build a resumé for them, and to give them network opportunities...I just pitched her my passion for this project."

Marcy said that when receiving cold calls, it's important to separate the chaff from the wheat. They occasionally receive some "bizarre" calls, she said.

"Brandon not only struck me, obviously, with his legitimacy, but also with his passion and excitement for the project," said Marcy. "I've been asked, 'how did you get your job,' and I said, 'because I asked for a job,' and Brandon was very much that way as well." It was that enthusiasm that led her to convince Kurtzman that they should be a part of Lazenko's film.

This isn't Lazenko's first rodeo. By his count, he's made two miniseries and four shorts, including 2021's award winning "A Serpent by the Nest."

While he admits that working alongside someone with as much experience in the industry as Kurtzman is daunting, Lazenko is excited about the opportunity to learn from him.

"I know, coming out of this at the other end, I'm going to be a different filmmaker and a better filmmaker, and that's what I'm excited for," Lazenko said.

Contact reporter Derek Kreider at dkreider@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Kent filmmaker working to adapt Stephen King short story into film