First... Let me state that only film/TV adaptations of King’s horror stories are considered for this list (this is Horror Central after all). Obviously if all of his work was under consideration then The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me, The Running Man, Hearts in Atlantis among many others, would almost undoubtedly be on the list. As a MASSIVE Stephen King fan, it was tough enough just pruning his horror work alone down to ten, never mind everything else.
Second... Let me repeat, I am a massive fan and avid reader of all of Stephen King’s writing. So, if your favorite isn’t here, or is lower on the list than you feel it should be, don’t worry. I still love it but felt that by disciplining myself to a list of only ten would force me to think more deeply, do more research and study the evidence harder. Without further ado...My personal top ten Stephen King adaptations for cinema and television.
Second... Let me repeat, I am a massive fan and avid reader of all of Stephen King’s writing. So, if your favorite isn’t here, or is lower on the list than you feel it should be, don’t worry. I still love it but felt that by disciplining myself to a list of only ten would force me to think more deeply, do more research and study the evidence harder. Without further ado...My personal top ten Stephen King adaptations for cinema and television.
1.CARRIE (1976)
Primarily this is my favorite because of the stunning performance by Sissy Spacek as the gawky, awkward Carrie White. Stephen King himself, in his non-fictional On Writing (the absolute Bible for any budding writer, of any genre) states that he never liked Carrie White as a character, something I find astounding to this day. In my view it is impossible not to like her and feel for her; downtrodden and picked on at school and with no respite at home either. I can let you in on a secret here, I haven’t seen the 2013 version of Carrie yet! You see, I’m a bit of a stick in the mud for re-makes and Spacek’s acting in this film was of such a high quality, that I feel anything, and anyone, will detract from it (there are just some films that can never be remade). I will see it eventually but, for now, Carrie will always mean Sissy Spacek’s phenomenal performance to me.
2. THE SHINING (1980)
This film, directed by Stanley Kubrick, divides opinion among King fans like no other. King himself was famously unhappy about it, and while it does differ widely from the book, and Jack Nicholson does go off the wall very quickly, it is nonetheless a very scary and very effective horror film. This is unique among others on the list in that I saw the film before I read the book, so possibly this explains why I don’t feel let down by it. There are so many unforgettable scenes in The Shining, some of them becoming iconic in the annals of horror; redrum, the twins as Danny is pedalling around the corridors of the hotel, the elevator full of blood and, of course, “Heeeere’s Johnny”. In fact, I liked the latter so much I got the tattoo!
3. CREEPSHOW (1982)
Any film that combines the writing of Stephen King and the directing of George A. Romero would have to appear on this list. I loved Creepshow the first time I saw it as a teenager. I was fifteen and it was a certificate 15 when my friends and I rented it on VHS (remember those?). I was a little hesitant being a veteran of many 18 certificate films and countless so-called ‘video-nasties’ of the era, and thought it may not deliver. But deliver it did; the comic book-style visual effects, the B movie-esque stories (I especially loved the one with Leslie Neilsen, “I can hold my breath for a lo-o-ong time!”) were as funny as they were spooky.
4. THE DEAD ZONE (1983)
The basic premise to this story is what intrigued me so much. Can it ever be right to kill someone/can two wrongs make a right/e.g. what if you could kill Hitler etc etc? How this film explores this is done in expert fashion by the stunning performance of Christopher Walken as Johnny Smith and the brilliant direction of David Cronenburg. Again, like Sissy Spacek and Jack Nicholson, showing that a great actor can really build upon the superb characters written by King. Martin Sheen is also suitably sleazy as the Presidential candidate Greg Stillson (long before he got into the White House in The West Wing!)
5. MISERY (1990)
Solid performances by Kathy Bates and James Caan (but then again, with those two in the lead roles would you really expect anything else?) make this such a great film that King himself thinks of it as one of the best adaptations of this work. In fact, he was so impressed with Bates in the role of tragic psychopath Annie Wilkes (for which she won Best Actress Oscar 1991) that he wrote Dolores Claibourne with her in mind to play the lead.
6. SALEM'S LOT (1979)
As well as being directed by one of my favourites, Tobe Hooper, ‘Salem’s Lot also had great performances by David Soul and James Mason. Being rather ‘old school’ I was impressed to see the head vampire (Kurt Barlow) as a Count Orlok lookalike. A nod to Nosferatu and the essence of evil a vampire carried rather than being suave or romantic. Today’s sparkly vampires could take a leaf out of this book as to what scary really looks like! As far as the fear factor goes, can anyone forget the little boy floating and scratching on the bedroom window?
7. 1408 (2007)
This claustrophobic film is part-Shining, part-MR James ghost story, and part descent into that scariest of places, our own imagination... Oh, and by the way, if you check into a hotel and Samuel L. Jackson tells you, “It’s an evil fucking room”, then trust him, it’s an evil fucking room! Of the alternative endings, my favourite is the original (ie the default ending on blu-ray and DVD). I was glad to see that Jackson and John Cusack will be starring together again in the forthcoming (date TBA) film Cell based on another of King’s works.
8. it (1990)
Mention this to anyone and the first thing they will think of, or say, is Tim Curry; surely THE most sinister clown ever. It was a two-part series and had the second part been anywhere near as good/scary as the first, it would have been a couple of places higher on the list. Of course, now the effects look dated but the shocks in the first half stand the test of time.
9. cHRISTINE (1983)
This was another dream horror duo, written by King, directed by John Carpenter. If Cujo was Jaws with paws, then Christine was Jaws with highly-polished chrome, leather seats and a 50s style radio! It differed slightly from the book in that the film version of Christine was inherently evil right from its manufacture, whereas in the novel the car gradually took on the traits from the previous owner Mr LeBay.
10. THE STAND (1994)
I often wondered what a film of this book would look like and if anyone ever could do it justice. A TV mini-series was probably the only way to fit in such a vast storyline and it certainly had a good go. A stellar cast of Gary Sinise, Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe (and appearances by Kathy Bates, Ed Harris as well as Sam Raimi and John Landis) definitely helped. If ever the weather is bad and you have a spare six hours or so, the DVD is well worth watching again.
Honorable mentions must go to Cujo, Apt Pupil, Firestarter and Children of the Corn (which spawned a hilarious episode of South Park!) The discipline of maintaining the list at only ten drove me to distraction at times.
Why have there been so many Stephen King stories adapted into TV/film?
Primarily, what makes King’s work so transferable to screen is the fact he writes such three-dimensional, complex and interesting characters. As can be seen from my list, a continuing theme is the performance of the lead actor/actress. King’s characters are so well-written, that good casting of an actor who can really bring them to life almost guarantees a sure-fire winner. Anyone who reads King, as well as watching the films, can verify that his stories are so easy to immerse yourself in. He really is a masterful storyteller, as can be seen by the fact that over 50 of his works be they novels, novellas or short stories, have been transferred to the screen; fans as ardent as I am hope that there are many more to come.
My personal ‘bucket list’ of King works I wish to see on screen are ‘Joyland’ (which I am led to believe is on the way in 2015), ‘Dr Sleep’ (in my view King’s best work EVER and surely only a matter of time before it makes it to the big screen) and ‘Breathing Method’ (a stunning short story from Different Seasons which gave us The Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil and Stand By Me). In fact, if you will indulge me a little, Breathing Method would, in the ideal world, be made by Hammer studios; star Peter Cushing as Dr Emlyn McCarron (the storyteller), Morgan Freeman, Vincent Price and Christopher Lee as his attentive audience and Sherri Moon Zombie as the patient. Aah well, I can always dream!
Why have there been so many Stephen King stories adapted into TV/film?
Primarily, what makes King’s work so transferable to screen is the fact he writes such three-dimensional, complex and interesting characters. As can be seen from my list, a continuing theme is the performance of the lead actor/actress. King’s characters are so well-written, that good casting of an actor who can really bring them to life almost guarantees a sure-fire winner. Anyone who reads King, as well as watching the films, can verify that his stories are so easy to immerse yourself in. He really is a masterful storyteller, as can be seen by the fact that over 50 of his works be they novels, novellas or short stories, have been transferred to the screen; fans as ardent as I am hope that there are many more to come.
My personal ‘bucket list’ of King works I wish to see on screen are ‘Joyland’ (which I am led to believe is on the way in 2015), ‘Dr Sleep’ (in my view King’s best work EVER and surely only a matter of time before it makes it to the big screen) and ‘Breathing Method’ (a stunning short story from Different Seasons which gave us The Shawshank Redemption, Apt Pupil and Stand By Me). In fact, if you will indulge me a little, Breathing Method would, in the ideal world, be made by Hammer studios; star Peter Cushing as Dr Emlyn McCarron (the storyteller), Morgan Freeman, Vincent Price and Christopher Lee as his attentive audience and Sherri Moon Zombie as the patient. Aah well, I can always dream!
COMPLETE List:
EVERY STEPHEN KING ADAPTATION
FILMS
- 1976 Carrie (based on the novel from 1974)
- 1980 The Shining (based on the novel from 1977)
- 1982 Creepshow (consists of five short films; one is based on the short story "Weeds" from 1976, one is based on the short story "The Crate" from 1979, and King wrote the rest specifically for the film)
- 1983 Cujo (based on the novel from 1981)
- 1983 The Dead Zone (based on the novel from 1979)
- 1983 Christine (based on the novel from 1983)
- 1984 Children of the Corn (based on the short story from 1977)
- 1984 Firestarter (based on the novel from 1980)
- 1985 Cat's Eye (consists of three short films; one is based on the short story "Quitters, Inc." from 1978, one is based on the short story "The Ledge" from 1976, and one was written specifically for the film)
- 1985 Silver Bullet (based on the novella Cycle of the Werewolf from 1983)
- 1986 Maximum Overdrive (based on the short story "Trucks" from 1973)
- 1986 Stand by Me (based on the novella The Body from 1982)
- 1987 Creepshow 2 (sequel to the 1982 film, consists of three short films; one is based on the short story "The Raft" from 1982 and the other two were written specifically for the film)
- 1987 A Return to Salem's Lot (sequel to the 1979 mini-series; not an official adaptation or written by King)
- 1987 The Running Man (based on the novel from 1982)
- 1989 Pet Sematary (based on the novel from 1983)
- 1990 Tales from the Darkside: The Movie (consists of three short films; one is based on the short story "The Cat from Hell" from 1977, and the other two have no connection to King)
- 1990 Graveyard Shift (based on the short story from 1970)
- 1990 It (novel) (based on the novel from 1986)
- 1990 Misery (based on the novel from 1987)
- 1991 Sometimes They Come Back (based on the novel from 1974)
- 1992 Sleepwalkers (original screenplay)
- 1992 The Lawnmower Man (based on the novel from 1976)
- 1992 Pet Sematary Two (sequel to the 1989 film; not an official adaptation or written by King)
- 1993 Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice (sequel to the 1984 film; only sequel to be released theatrically; not an official adaptation or written by King)
- 1993 The Dark Half (based on the novel from 1989)
- 1993 Needful Things (based on the novel from 1990)
- 1994 The Shawshank Redemption (based on the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption from 1982)
- 1995 The Mangler (based on the short story from 1972)
- 1995 Dolores Claiborne (based on the novel from 1993)
- 1995 Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (sequel to the 1993 film; first sequel to be released straight to video; not an official adaptation or written by King)
- 1996 Sometimes They Come Back... Again (sequel to the 1991 TV film; not an official adaptation or written by King)
- 1996 Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering (sequel to the 1995 film; *)
- 1996 Thinner (based on the novel from 1984)
- 1997 The Night Flier (based on the short story from 1988)
- 1997 Quicksilver Highway (based on Clive Barker's short story "The Body Politic" and Stephen King's short story "Chattery Teeth")
- 1997 Trucks (based on the short story from 1978)
- 1998 Children of the Corn V: Fields of Terror (sequel to the 1996 film; *)
- 1998 Apt Pupil (based on the novella from 1982)
- 1998 Sometimes They Come Back… for More (sequel to the 1996 film; *)
- 1999 The Rage: Carrie 2 (sequel to the 1976 film; not an adaptation of a King story)
- 1999 Children of the Corn 666: Isaac's Return (sequel to the 1998 film; *)
- 1999 The Green Mile (based on the novel from 1996)
- 1999 Storm of the Century (original screenplay)
- 2001 Hearts in Atlantis (based on the novella Low Men In Yellow Coats from 1999)
- 2001 Children of the Corn: Revelation (sequel to the 1999 film; *)
- 2001 The Mangler 2 (sequel to the 1995 film; not an adaptation of a King story)
- 2002 Firestarter 2: Rekindled (sequel to the 1984 film; not an adaptation of a King story)
- 2002 Carrie (second adaptation of the novel from 1974)
- 2003 Dreamcatcher (based on the novel from 2001)
- 2004 Secret Window (based on the novella Secret Window, Secret Garden from 1990)
- 2004 Riding the Bullet (based on the novella from 2000)
- 2005 The Mangler Reborn (sequel to the 2001 film; not an adaptation of a King story)
- 2007 Creepshow III (unofficial sequel to the 1987 film; consists of five short films, none of which have any connection to King)
- 2007 1408 (based on the short story from 1999)
- 2007 The Mist (based on the novella from 1980)
- 2007 "No Smoking" (based on the short story Quitters Inc.)
- 2009 Dolan's Cadillac (based on the short story from 1985)
- 2011 Children of the Corn: Genesis (sequel to the 2001 film)
- 2012 Bike (based on the short story Stationary Bike from 2003)
- 2013 Carrie (third adaptation of the novel from 1974)
- TBA The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger (based on the novel from 1982) [1]
- TBA It (second adaptation of the novel It from 1986) [2]
- TBA The Stand (second adaptation of the 1978 novel)
- TBA Creepshow IV (sequel to the 2007 film; currently in production by Warner Bros.)
- TBA A Good Marriage (based on the novella from 2010)
- TBA Rose Madder (based on the 1995 novel, written by Naomi Sheridan)
- TBA Mercy (based on the short story from 1984)
- TBA Cell (based on the 2006 novel, Screenplay by Stephen King)
- TBA Lisey's Story (based on the 2006 novel
TELEVISION ADAPTATIONS
- 1979 Salem's Lot (mini-series based on the novel from 1975)
- 1984 "Word Processor of the Gods" (episode of Tales from the Darkside based on the short story from 1983)
- 1986 "Gramma" (episode of The Twilight Zone based on the short story from 1984)
- 1986 "Battle" (Soviet cartoon adaptation of the short story "Battleground" from 1972) [3]
- 1987 "Sorry, Right Number" (episode of Tales from the Darkside, original screenplay)
- 1990 It (mini-series based on the novel from 1986)
- 1990 "The Moving Finger" (episode of Monsters based on the short story from 1990)
- 1991 Sometimes They Come Back (based on the short story from 1974)
- 1991 Golden Years (TV series, original screenplay)
- 1993 The Tommyknockers (mini-series based on the novel from 1987)
- 1994 The Stand (mini-series based on the novel from 1978)
- 1995 The Langoliers (mini-series based on the novella from 1990)
- 1997 The Shining (mini-series; second adaptation of the novel from 1977)
- 1997 Quicksilver Highway (consists of two short films; one is based on the short story "Chattery Teeth" from 1993; the other is based on a short story by Clive Barker)
- 1997 "The Revelations of Becka Paulson" (episode of The Outer Limits, based on the short story from 1984)
- 1997 Trucks (second adaptation of the short story from 1973)
- 1998 "Chinga" (episode of The X-Files, original screenplay)
- 1999 Storm of the Century (mini-series, original screenplay)
- 2002 Rose Red (mini-series, original screenplay)
- 2002‒2007 The Dead Zone (TV series; second adaptation of the novel from 1979)
- 2002 Carrie (second adaptation of the novel from 1974)
- 2003 The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer (prequel to Rose Red)
- 2004 Kingdom Hospital (TV series based on Lars von Trier's mini-series The Kingdom)
- 2004 Salem's Lot (mini-series; second adaptation of the novel from 1975)
- 2006 Desperation (based on the novel from 1996)
- 2006 Nightmares and Dreamscapes (TV miniseries; eight episodes based on eight short stories)
- 2009 Children of the Corn (second adaptation of the short story from 1977)
- 2010‒present Haven (TV series loosely inspired by characters and situations from the novel The Colorado Kid from 2005)
- 2011 Bag of Bones (mini-series based on the novel from 1998)
- 2013‒present Under the Dome [4] (based on the novel from 2009)
- 2014 Grand Central (based on the short story "The New York Times at Special Bargain Rates" of the collection Just After Sunset from 2008)
- TBA The Talisman (based on the novel from 1984 King co-wrote with Peter Straub) [5]
COMIC BOOKS
The Lawnmower Man
The Dark Tower
- 1981 Bizarre Adventures #29 (based on the short story "The Lawnmower Man")
The Dark Tower
- 2007 The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born (first spin-off from the Dark Tower novels, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2008 The Dark Tower: The Long Road Home (second spin-off from the Dark Tower novels, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2008 The Dark Tower: Treachery (third spin-off from the Dark Tower novels, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2009 The Dark Tower: The Sorcerer (fourth spin-off from the Dark Tower novels, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2009 The Dark Tower: The Fall of Gilead (fifth spin-off from the Dark Tower novels, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2009 The Dark Tower: Battle of Jericho Hill (sixth spin-off from the Dark Tower novels, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2010 The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Journey Begins (based on the novel The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2010 The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Little Sisters of Eluria (based on the short story The Little Sisters of Eluria, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2011 The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Battle of Tull (based on the novel The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2011 The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Way Station (based on the novel The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2012 The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger - The Man in Black (based on the novel The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2008 The Stand: Captain Trips (based on The Stand novel, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2009 The Stand: American Nightmares (based on The Stand novel, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2009 The Stand: Soul Survivors [6] (based on The Stand novel, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2010 The Stand: Hardcases (based on The Stand novel, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2011 The Stand: No Mans Land (based on The Stand novel, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2011 The Stand: Night Has Come (based on The Stand novel, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2009 The Talisman [7] (based on the novel The Talisman, published by Marvel Comics)
- 2010 N. In March 2010, Marvel published the first issue of a comic book adaptation of N., a limited series of four issues.
- 2012 Road Rage (based on the novella "Throttle")
- 2012 The Little Green God of Agony (free web-comic on Stephen King's official website[8])
Jamie Tucknutt, 46 years old from Co Durham, England. Ever since I watched my first black and white vampire film at the age of five, then spent a sleepless night cowering beneath the covers as frequent droughts from my open bedroom window caused my (creaky) bedroom door to move ever so slightly, I have been a devotee of all that is deliciously dark. Zombies and slashers, ghosts and ghouls, or even just that fleeting shadow you caught in the corner of your eye, have the power to hold us all entranced. I look forward to sharing with you my passion for horror. |