Sherlock Holmes goes to Barkerville with Stephen King

A group of amateur filmmakers are shooting a movie version of The Doctor's Case,a Sherlock Holmes story written by Stephen King at B.C. locations including Prince George, the ghost town ofBarkervilleand CraigdarrochCastle in Victoria.

The story was written by King for a compilation of new Sherlock Holmes stories in 1986 and later republished in his collectionNightmares & Dreamscapes.

The tale isbeing brought to life by James Douglas, thepublic relations manager for Barkerville, a historic goldrush town near Quesnel in the B.C. Interior.

"That story always stuck in the back of my mind," Douglas toldCBC Daybreak Northhost Carolina de Ryk.

"I started to fantasize about what it would be like to make The Doctor's Caseat Barkerville ... but never really took it seriously."

King's blessing

That changed when he discovered the Dollar Babies initiative: a list of short stories King has written that haven't been optionedoff for movie rights.

He allows students and amateur filmmakers to write a short pitch explaining how they would like to film the story, and, if approved, grants the non-commercial rights to do so.

Douglas made the pitch and, much to his surprise, was given the green light to go ahead.

Star Trek actress on board

From there, he kept getting what he calls "signs from the universe" to move forward with his vision.

One of the biggest was when, days after he found out he had the rights to the story, he got a Facebook notification telling him it was actress Denise Crosby's birthday.

Crosbyplayed Lt. Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation and had met Douglas at a "geek weekend" event held in Barkerville a few years earlier.

"For whatever reason, she and I hit it off," Douglas explained, and the pair kept in touch.

When he got the notification about her birthday, he decided to ask if she'd like to take part and she agreed.

The role of Sherlock Holmes is being played by JP Winslow, a theatre actor who has brought numerous historic characters to life in Barkerville. Douglas' old friend Michael Coleman, best known for his role in ABC'sOnce Upon A Time,has signed on as Holmes' sidekick Dr. Watson.

Douglas says he can't quite believe how quickly what he once though of as apipe dream is coming together.

"I feel like I walked in to buy a used car at a car lot and I walked out with a Ferarri," he laughed.

Douglas is setting up a crowdsourcing campaign to come up with a budget, and has secured filming locations at historic site including Barkerville and Cottonwood House in the Cariboo and at Craigdaroch Castle in Victoria.

With files from Jordan Tucker.

To hear the full story, click on the audio labeled 'James Douglas explains how Stephen King gave him permission to bring SherlockHolmes to Barkerville'

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