It seems that telling spooky stories runs in Stephen King’s family. King’s second-oldest son, Joe Hill, has been outed as the blood relative of the world-famous horror novelist, causing a run by curious fans to their local bookshop to see if the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Now it also seems that Hollywood is taking an interest: Hill’s first novel, “Heart-Shaped Box”, has been optioned by Warner Bros as a possible movie. “Interview With a Vampire” and “The Crying Game” director Neil Jordan is writing the movie’s screenplay and will direct the film.

Hill’s story tells the tale of a rock star named Judas Coyne who decides to buy a suit on eBay that the owner claims is haunted by a spirit. Coyne doesn’t believe it’s true but nevertheless can’t resist picking up the online oddity, only to learn to his horror that there is a ghost and that it wants to kill the new owner of the suit. As Coyne learns more about his otherworldly nemesis he discovers the reason why the ghost wants to kill him and a secret connection to the ghost’s past.

Hill’s daddy has two movies coming out later this year based on his stories, “1408” and “The Mist”. Also being planned is a remake of “Christine”, King’s novel about a possessed automobile that was originally turned into a 1983 movie directed by John Carpenter.

Legendary screen star Dennis Hopper is in contract negotiations to star in “Dolan’s Cadillac”, another adaptation of a Stephen King story to the big screen. Hopper would play a Las Vegas gangster/casino owner named Jimmy Dolan who is about to spend the rest of his life behind bars as he awaits trial for his various crimes. The one witness that can put him away for good is the wife of a middle school science teacher who accidentally saw Dolan perform an execution in the desert, so Dolan has her killed before his case can go to trial. As the grieving husband learns that he won’t have justice through legal channels he uses his smarts and comes up with an intricate way to get his revenge on the villain.

Two more Stephen King movies are also in the near future and scheduled for release later this year. “1408″ stars John Cusack as a man that debunks claims of paranormal phenomena called upon to refute claims of a supposedly haunted room of a hotel. Samuel L. Jackson also stars in the film which is slated for release on July 13, 2007. Based on a novella by King, “The Mist” is about to start filming next month under the direction of Frank Darabont (”The Shawshank Redemption”.) Thomas Jane (”The Punisher”) plays one of many frightened customers trapped inside a supermarket that is suddenly surrounded by frightening and hungry creatures that lurk inside a strange mist. It’s slated for a November 21 release.