Storm of the Century

Storm of the Century
Cover of the published screenplay
Genre	Drama, Horror, Fantasy, Thriller
Written by	Stephen King
Directed by	Craig R. Baxley
Starring	Timothy Daly Colm Feore Debrah Farentino Casey Siemaszko Jeffrey DeMunn
Country of origin	US
Original language(s)	English
No. of episodes	3
Production
Producer(s)	Stephen King Mark Carliner Robert F. Phillips
Location(s)	Little Tall Island, Maine
Running time	256 min.
Budget	$35,000,000
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	February 14 – February 18, 1999

Storm of the Century, alternatively known as Stephen King's Storm of the Century, is a 1999 horror TV miniseries written by Stephen King and directed by Craig R. Baxley. Unlike many other King mini-series, Storm of the Century was not based upon a Stephen King novel—King wrote it as a screenplay from the beginning. The screenplay was published in February 1999.

A very powerful blizzard hits the fictional small town of Little Tall Island (also the setting of King's novel Dolores Claiborne) off the coast of Maine. The storm is so powerful that all access off the island is blocked, and no one is able to leave the island until the storm is over. While trying to deal with the storm, tragedy strikes when one of the town's residents is brutally murdered by André Linoge (Colm Feore), a menacing stranger who appears to know the town members' darkest secrets, and who gives no hint of his motives other than the cryptic statement "Give me what I want, and I'll go away."

Linoge is imprisoned in the town's holding cell by part-time constable Michael Anderson (Timothy Daly), but he uses his various abilities to affect the town, driving people to commit suicides and inflict terrifying dreams. After walking from his cell, Linoge's campaign of terror culminates in an enchantment that places all eight of the town's small children into unconsciousness. While looking for Linoge, Michael notices his name is an anagram for Legion, a demon mentioned having been fought but not defeated by Jesus. Linoge eventually calls a town meeting, and it is here that Linoge states he desires one of the eight children he has enchanted. He reveals his true form (an impossibly ancient, dying man), explaining that he is not immortal, and needs someone to carry on his "work." He states that he cannot simply take the child he desires, but he can punish. If they refuse, he threatens to force them to march into the sea two-by-two, as he claims to have done at Roanoke Island, North Carolina, centuries before. With his demands set, he leaves them with half an hour to make their decision.