‘The Mist’: Frank Darabont, Thomas Jane on its dark ending [video]

"The Mist" writer-director Frank Darabont is seen at work on "The Walking Dead" in September 2010. He also made "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile," which, like "The Mist," are adapted from Stephen King stories. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

A scene from "The Mist." (Ralph Nelson / Weinstein Co.)

A scene from "The Mist." (Van Redin / Weinstein Co.)

A scene from "The Mist." (Johansen Krause / Weinstein Co.)

Actor Thomas Jane in his Los Angeles home in September 2011. (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

Frank Darabont speaks during PaleyFest in Beverly Hills in 2011. (Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images)

“The Mist,” Frank Darabont’s 2007 Stephen King adaptation about a group of people stranded in a market after a strange fog settles over their New England town, concludes on an undeniably bleak, profoundly heartbreaking note.

Even star Thomas Jane seemed rattled by it when he took his seat on stage beside writer-director Darabont following a screening of “The Mist” at the Hero Complex Film Festival earlier this month.

“I just slipped in and caught the last 10 minutes or so because I got here a little early,” the actor, a surprise guest, told the crowd. “I kind of wish that I hadn’t.”

Darabont points out that the ending — which we’ll refrain from revealing here — has roots in King’s 1980 novella, though it differs from what the author wrote. (“The Mist” was the Oscar nominee’s third King adaptation, following 1994′s “The Shawshank Redemption” and 1999′s “The Green Mile.”)

Darabont recalled sending his script to the prolific author and saying, “Listen, if you hate the ending, I won’t make the movie.” King’s reply, Darabont said, was that he loved it and thought that every generation there should be a movie that dares to not give audiences what they want.

Watch the video below to hear more from Darabont and Jane about the film and its powerful final scene.

Hosted by Hero Complex editor Gina McIntyre at the Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood, the festival started May 10 with a John Carpenter double feature and discussion. The night of May 11 featured a double feature from Guillermo del Toro, “The Devil’s Backbone” and “Pan’s Labyrinth,” and a conversation with the writer-director.

The May 12 programming started with a screening of “Independence Day” and a conversation with director Roland Emmerich, producer Dean Devlin, star Jeff Goldblum and effects wizard Volker Engel. That was followed in the evening by a 20th anniversary tribute to “The X-Files” with creator Chris Carter and two of the series’ writers, Glen Morgan and Darin Morgan, and showings of three fan-picked episodes.

– Blake Hennon and Gina McIntyre

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