▁ent ices ▁the ▁town ' s ▁children ▁to ▁rit ually ▁murder ▁all ▁the ▁town ' s ▁adult s , ▁and ▁a ▁couple ▁driving ▁across ▁the ▁country , ▁to ▁ensure ▁a ▁successful ▁corn ▁har vest . ▁ ▁King ▁wrote ▁the ▁original ▁draft ▁of ▁the ▁screen play , ▁which ▁focused ▁more ▁on ▁the ▁characters ▁of ▁B urt ▁and ▁V icky ▁and ▁dep icted ▁more ▁history ▁on ▁the ▁u pr ising ▁of ▁the ▁children ▁in ▁G at lin . ▁This ▁script ▁was ▁dis reg arded ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁George ▁G olds m ith ' s ▁screen play , ▁which ▁featured ▁more ▁violence ▁and ▁a ▁more ▁conventional ▁narr ative ▁structure . ▁Fil ming ▁took ▁place ▁mainly ▁in ▁Iowa , ▁but ▁also ▁in ▁California . ▁It ▁spawn ed ▁a ▁franch ise ▁of ▁films , ▁and ▁it ▁has ▁gained ▁a ▁cult ▁following . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁the ▁fict ional ▁town ▁of ▁G at lin , ▁Neb r aska , ▁an ▁agricult ural ▁community ▁surrounded ▁by ▁huge ▁corn fields . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁the ▁town ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁neglect ed ▁except ▁for ▁the ▁church , ▁and ▁residents ▁choose ▁Bib lic al ▁names ▁over ▁more ▁modern ▁ones . ▁When ▁the ▁corn ▁c rop ▁fails ▁one ▁year , ▁the ▁towns folk ▁turn ▁to ▁prayer ▁to ▁ensure ▁a ▁successful ▁har vest . ▁However , ▁ 1 2 - year - old ▁Isaac ▁Chron er ▁takes ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁children ▁in ▁G at lin ▁into ▁the ▁corn fields ▁and ▁ind o ctr in ates ▁them