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Stephen Kingis one of the most adapted authors ever , and here ’s a collection of the opinion he ’s offered about those various movies and television shows . When someone write as much as King , and has as in high spirits a success rate as he does , it ’s no admiration that Hollywood is always happy to battle over the rights to his latest novel or poor story . While a sizable chunk of his catalog still has yet to be adjust , it feels like just about everything will hit the screen door eventually .
Even if they do n’t , the more recent trend is for King ’s books to get adapted more than once , in some cases for the third time . Carrieis the most notable exercise , having become a movie in 1976 , a TV movie in 2002 , and a theatrical remake in 2013 . That is to say , even when King retire from writing — assume he ever does — the onset of King adaptations is unlikely to discontinue . Then again , young King stuff may never stop come in out either way , as it seems right up his bowling alley to have rafts of stories in reserve for publishing from beyond the grave accent .
have-to doe with : Every Stephen King Story With Versions Of Himself
For the most part , King has a pretty pose - back attitude about the adaptations of his work . After all , his books are still useable to read , even if the movie finish up being frightening . But that does n’t mean he does n’t now and again let loose on one he particularly hates , or stop to praise one he found enjoyable . Here’swhat Stephen King thinksof every adaptation of his work so far .
Carrie (1976)
Carriewas King ’s first novel , and naturally , his first reach moving-picture show version . King , like most , is a big lover of Brian De Palma ’s moving picture , say in a 1978 interview withCinefantastiquethat he " like De Palma ’s film of Carrie quite a act . " He did say in a 2010 consultation withFlorida Weeklythat he now found the film a bit dated . Here ’s his full quote from the former chat :
I liked De Palma ’s movie ofCarriequite a piece . The attitude of the film was different from my book ; I lean to see the event neat - on , humorlessly , in a straight pointedness - to - point progression ( you have to retrieve thatthe Book of Genesis ofCarriewas no more than a short story idea ) , while I think De Palma saw a chance to make a moving-picture show that was a satirical view of mellow schoolhouse life history in general and high school peer - group in particular . A perfectly viable compass point of view . Sissy Spacek was excellent , but right behind her — in a littler part than it should have been was John Travolta . He played the part of Billy Nolan the agency I care I ’d written it , half - funny and half - demented . Also , in the book , Carrie destroy the integral town on the manner home ; that did n’t happen in the moving-picture show , mostly because the budget was too small . I care they could have had that , but otherwise , I do n’t have any real quiddity . I think that De Palma is a suitable pretender to Hitchcock ’s crapper . . .certainly he isas peculiar as Hitchcock .
Salem’s Lot (1979)
Salem ’s Lotwas the first King book to become a tv set miniseries , and continue a ethnical touchstone for many vampire fans . King never hash out the syllabus at much length , but upon director Tobe Hooper ’s death in 2017 tweeted : " drab to listen Tobe Hooper passed . He did a wonderful task directing the ‘ Salem ’s Lot miniseries , back in the mean solar day . He will be drop . "
The Shining (1980)
Of all King ’s opinions on the adaptations of his work , his negative flavour onThe Shiningare the most well - known . Although , he did say that Mike Flanagan’sDoctor Sleephelped him come to revalue Stanley Kubrick ’s film a tad more . Here’sKing ’s quotes onThe Shiningfrom a 2016 interview withDeadline :
I thinkThe Shiningis a beautiful celluloid and it bet tremendous and as I ’ve said before , it ’s like a big , beautiful Cadillac with no locomotive inside it . In that horse sense , when it opened , a lot of the reviews were n’t very friendly and I was one of those reviewer . I kept my mouthpiece shut at the time , but I did n’t deal for it much . The character of Jack Torrance has no arc in that picture . dead no arc at all . When we first see Jack Nicholson , he ’s in the office of Mr. Ullman , the manager of the hotel , and you bed , then , he ’s crazy as a shit house rat . All he does is get mad . In the book , he ’s a cat who ’s struggling with his sanity and finally miss it . To me , that ’s a tragedy . In the picture show , there ’s no cataclysm because there ’s no real change . The other genuine difference is at the end of my book the hotel blows up , and at the last of Kubrick ’s motion-picture show the hotel freezes . That ’s a difference . But I meet Kubrick and there ’s no question he ’s a terrifically smart guy . He ’s made some of the movies that think of a lot to me , Dr. Strangelove , for one andPaths of Glory , for another . I think he did some terrific things but , boy , he was a really insular Isle of Man . In the common sense that when you meet him , and when you spill to him , he was able to interact in a utterly normal way but you never felt like he was all the way there . He was inside himself .
Related : Salem ’s draw : Biggest Differences Between Series & Stephen King ’s Book
Cujo (1983)
Famously , King was so drunk and highduring the early 1980s that he ca n’t call back writingCujo . While he has n’t discussed the film version at length , he did say in the aforementionedDeadlinepiece that he considers it the best of " the small pictures , " meaning version made on the cheap .
Children of the Corn (1984)
1984 ’s first entry in what would become an inexplicably massive franchise is another title King has n’t discussed in cracking detail , but in that sameDeadlineinterview , he touch on the motion picture briefly : " I could do without all of theChildren of the Cornsequels . I in reality like the original passably well . "
Firestarter (1984)
In a 1986 interview withAmerican Filmmagazine , King made it pretty clear how much he is n’t a fan ofFirestarter ’s movie adaptation , and he did it rather bluntly . Here ’s his full quote :
Firestarter is one of the big of the bunch , even though in condition of account it ’s very near to the original . But it ’s bland ; it ’s like cafeteria mashed potatoes . There are things that pass off in terms of special outcome in that pic that make no sense to me whatsoever . Why this child ’s fuzz blows every metre she lead off fires is totally beyond my intellect . I never stimulate a satisfactory response when I see the rough slash . By that time , Dino [ De Laurentis ] was regularly asking me for input signal . Sometimes he ’d take it . In that case …
The movie has great worker , with the exclusion of the lead , David Keith , who I did n’t feel was very serious – my wife suppose that he has stupid heart . The actor were allowed to do moderately much what they wanted to . Martin Sheen , who is a outstanding actor , with no way and nobody to evidence him – and I mean there must have been literally no direction – with nobody to deplume him in and say , " Stop what you ’re doing , " he simply reprised Greg Stillson [ in The Dead Zone ] . That ’s all there is ; it ’s the same character exactly . But Greg Stillson should not be in charge of The Shop [ hugger-mugger government organization in Firestarter ] . He ’s not the kind of guy who get that job .
Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Maximum Overdrivewas Stephen King ’s infamously bad debut - and finale - as a film conductor , but it ’s earned a cult espouse as a " so regretful its good " piece of cheesy fun . As part of the 2003 bookHollywood ’s Stephen King , King say ofMaximum Overdrive : " The job with that flick is that I was coke out of my idea all through its production , and I did n’t know what I was doing . "
tie in : Maximum Overdrive : Why Stephen King ’s Directing Debut Was So forged
Stand by Me (1986)
This King opinionis second - manus , but he ’s since tell like things himself . According to manager Rob Reiner , King was so touched byStand by Methat after a private masking , he went to Reiner and say ( according to theChicago Tribune ) " That ’s the best film ever made out of anything I ’ve spell , which is n’t enunciate much . But you ’ve really catch my story . It is autobiographic . All that was made up was the gimmick of the hunt for the body . "
The Running Man (1987)
While it has a sizable following , King is n’t a sports fan ofThe Running Manmovie , not appreciate how much it deviate from his story , and disapprove of thecasting of Arnold Schwarzeneggerin the lead . He even went as far as barring his name from the selling . King once toldCinemafantastique(viaWe Minored in Film ): “ It was totally out of my hands . I did n’t have anything to do with the devising [ of the movie] … it does n’t have much in unwashed with the novel at all , except the deed of conveyance . ”
Pet Sematary (1989)
King does n’t often point out on the adaptations he ’s like a shot involved with , which makes common sense to an extent . He has stated some rather mixed popular opinion onPet Sematarythough , despite writing the screenplay . He tell the following toCinefantastiquein 1991 :
I think Dale Midkiff is stiff in place . I think Denise Crosby comes across inhuman in places . I do n’t feel that the couple that ’s at the heart of the narration has the variety of warmheartedness that would determine them off perfectly againstthe supernatural elementthat surrounds them . I like that contrast better . I think it does what revulsion movies are suppose to do . It ’s an outlaw genre . It ’s an outlaw depiction . A lot of the reviews have intimate very powerfully that the great unwashed are scandalize by the picture , and that ’s precisely the effect that the horror movie seeks .
Graveyard Shift (1990)
Graveyard Shiftis another King has n’t dissect in depth , but in that sameDeadlineinterview from in the beginning , he brought it up when asked about his least favorite adjustment , tell the following : " Should I even say that ? I guess there are a figure of impression that I experience like , a little second like , yuck . There ’s one , Graveyard Shift , that was made in the 80 . Just kind of a nimble victimisation picture .
Related : Every Future Movie Star in the Children of the Corn Franchise
Misery (1990)
view how much he lovedStand by Me , the fact thatKing is a lover of Rob Reiner’sMiseryisn’t too surprising . In a 2014 interview withRolling Stone , he calledMiserya " swell film , " and in the 2009 bookStephen King live on to the Movies , he citesMiseryas one of his top 10 adaptation .
IT (1990)
Despite all the success had by the recentITmovies , those who grew up with Tim Curry ’s 1990 miniseries version are unlikely to give up it as a favorite . In a 2015 audience withYahoo , King concurred with that sentiment :
" You have to commend , my expectation were in the basement . Here was a book that straggle over 1,000 pages , and they were going to cram it into four hours , with commercial message . But the series really surprised me by how honest it was . It ’s a really challenging adaption of a really recollective book . The kid actors were good , and the adult actors were rattling . There ’s an early contemporaries who rememberwatchingSalem ’s Loton TV , and then there are the kids who remember seeingIt . Get ‘ em while they ’re young , that ’s my motto . "
The Lawnmower Man (1992)
King has n’t utter aboutThe Lawnmower Manmuch in public , but view the fact that he filed a lawsuit against the filmmaker to have his name removed from the selling , it ’s obvious how he feel about the ruined product . The moving-picture show bears almost no resemblance at all to its " source material . "
Needful Things (1993)
In a 2007 interview with devoted King fan - siteLilja ’s Library , the author bring up theNeedful Thingsadaptation as a " disappointment " to him . In the bookHollywood ’s Stephen King , he expounded as to why he sense that way : " The movie was a special case . The first cut was designate on TNT . I have a copy of it , andthe length of this moving-picture show was four hours long . As a four - hr miniseries , it function . When edited down to ‘ movie length ’ , it is almost indecipherable because it does n’t have time to tell all the write up and do all the frame-up . "
have-to doe with : All 30 Forms IT Takes in Stephen King ’s Original Novel
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Unsurprisingly , considering many would call it the greatest film ever made , King has loads of beloved forThe Shawshank Redemption , another he place in his top 10 adaptation listing . He enunciate the undermentioned toDeadline : " I love The Shawshank Redemption and I ’ve always enjoy working with Frank[Darabont ] . "
The Mangler (1995)
Of all the adaptation for King to have weighed in on at duration , The Manglerseems like an odd choice , but the author bang it quite verbosely in the aforementioned bookStephen King Goes to the flick :
Tobe Hooper , who directed it , is something of a virtuoso … The Texas Chain Saw Massacreproves that beyond doubt . But when mastermind belong wrong , brother , catch out . The film interpretation of ‘ The Mangler ’ is gumptious and colorful , but it ’s also a mess with Robert ( Freddy Krueger ) Englund stalking through it for reasons which stay on indecipherable to me even now . … The motion picture ’s visuals are surreal and the solidification are eye - pop , but somewhere along the way ( maybe in the copious amount of steam generated by the motion picture ’s mechanical star ) , the story got lost .
Dolores Claiborne (1995)
King has n’t extend lengthy mentation onDolores Claiborne , but he has praised leads Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh , and it ’s another plastic film to make King ’s top 10 adaptations list .
Apt Pupil (1998)
Apt Pupil , Bryan Singer ’s takeon King ’s storyof a manipulative teenager and his loth Nazi friend is another King has n’t contact on much , but it too appear on his t0p 10 adaptations inclination .
Related : Every Stephen King Movie Sequel
The Green Mile (1999)
The 2nd successful collaboration of King ’s news report with Frank Darabont directing , The Green Mileis a film most King fan get laid , and the writer is no different . InHollywood ’s Stephen King , he say :
I would have to say that I was beguiled withThe Green Mile . The film is a petty “ soft ” in some mode . I like to joke with Frank that his movie was really the first universal gas constant - scab Hallmark Hall of Fame production . For a story that is set on expiry dustup , it has a really feel - good , kudos - the - human condition sentiment to it . I sure as shooting do n’t have a problem with that because I am a romanticist at fondness .
Dreamcatcher (2003)
King has n’t had much to say aboutthe movie adaption ofDreamcatcher , a book just about no one likes that King wrote while he was high on painkillers after being hit by a van , but what he has say speaks intensity . In a 2007 interview withTime Magazine , King called the flick a " train wreck . "
1408 (2007)
1408 , King ’s haunted fib about a gentleman’s gentleman trapped inside an iniquity , sentient hotel room , was praise by the author around the time of its discharge , and later included in his lean of top 10 adaptation . Speaking toThe New York Post , King called1408one of the few movies based on his work that encounter his measure .
The Mist (2007)
Frank Darabont is three - for - three when it come todirecting King adaptationsthe generator loves , with King say in a 2007 press league promotingThe Mist : " Frank wrote a fresh closing that I loved . It is the most shameful end ever and there should be a jurisprudence passed stating that anybody who bring out the last five minutes of this film should be advert from their neck until dead . "
link up : Every Stephen King & Frank Darabont Collaboration
Under the Dome (2013-2015)
Under the Domegot the pretty rarified King reversal after the fact , as he peach it up during its run on boob tube — and even wrote and cameoed in an episode — but in 2019 changed his tune by tweeting out a prompting that Netflix adaptUnder the Domeagain , and this time in reality come the volume . Ouch .
11.22.63 (2016)
Critics and audiences both generally eff Hulu ’s eight - sequence limited serial publication adaption of11.22.63 , and King himself was no different . He was actually instrumental in gettingproducer J.J. Abramson table to guide the task , and toldThe Daily Beastin 2016 : " He wish those off - the - wall stories . I think it ’s a pretty full burst for J.J. , I really do . He put together a the pits of a squad and I ’m very satisfied with the result . ”
The Dark Tower (2017)
While King praisedThe Dark Towermovie prior to bring out , he later admitted it did n’t quite work during an interview withVulture , explaining :
The major challenge was to do a flick base on a series of Christian Bible that ’s really long , about 3,000 pages . The other part of it was the decision to do a PG-13 feature adaptation of books that are super violent and deal with trigger-happy behaviour in a fairly graphical means . That was something that had to be overcome , although I ’ve got ta say , I thought [ screenwriter ] Akiva Goldsman did a howling job intaking a central part of the bookand turning it into what I think was a pretty good picture show .
IT (2017)
So , what did Stephen King think of the newIT ? Just prior to the going ofIT , King extend effusive praise for the plastic film , and he ’s state nothing to turn back on that since . As relayed toBloody Disgusting :
I had hopes , but I was not prepare for how estimable it really was . It ’s something that ’s dissimilar , and at the same time , it ’s something that audiences are gon na relate to . They ’re gon na wish the characters . To me , it ’s all about character . If you care the characters … if you care … the scare generally work . I ’m trusted my sports fan will enjoy the movie . I think they ’re gon na really enjoy the movie . And I conceive some of them will go back two or three times and in reality savor the affair . I went back and saw it a second time , and I felt I was see thing the 2nd prison term through that I miss the first fourth dimension .
Gerald’s Game (2017)
For decades , most affect King ’s very insular novelGerald ’s Gameto be unfilmable , but then director Mike Flanagan came along and did just that , to widespread congratulations . King felt the same elbow room , say the next toVulture :
I had rove favorable reception and I approve them immediately . I knew their work , of grade . Bruce Greenwood had influence for a while on [ the King - pen musical]Ghost Brothers of Darkland Countyand I ’m just sorry he did n’t get to singinGerald ’s Game , because he has a marvelous tattle part . It was a no - brainer for me . The script broke the Word open to get to the interior part of the story in a manner that I thought was marvellous .
1922 (2017)
1922was the 2d King version to hit Netflix in 2017 , and the author also had plenty of kudos to proffer up . In that sameVultureinterview , he said of the Thomas Jane vehicle :
With1922 , was I a little surprised that somebody wanted to make it ? I was , and I was also pleased by the challenge of it and anxious to see what would arrive out . And you know , what1922reminded me of was a film calledThere Will Be Blood . It has the same kind of categorical , dead - eyed , bear on to it , so it made for a really good suspense characterization , and it ’s a moving-picture show that wo n’t leave my thinker . It has this form of venomous effect , it just sort of sticks there because some of the images are so good .
The Mist (2017)
The Mistwasn’t much like King ’s dear novella , completely abandoning his Lovecraftian monsters . Yet , he did n’t hesitate to promote its arrival with a recommendation , tweeting : " THE MIST TV series premieres on Spike , June 22nd . You might require to mark it on your calendar . It ’s really safe . "
Pet Sematary (2019)
While the response to it from King diehards was mixed , the writer himself quite liked the2019 remake ofPet Sematary , call it a great picture . He also directly addressed the remaking ’s controversial dead child substitution during an interview withEW :
It ’s something different , ” King enjoin . “ They did a near job . Boy , I saw all the material that add up online when people realized that it was Ellie rather than Gage that got move over in the route , and I ’m think like , ‘ Man , these mass … ’ It ’s so nuts . you may take Route 301 and go to Tampa , or you could take Route 17 and go to Tampa . But both time , you ’re gon na number out at Tampa ! ” he enjoin with a laugh . “ You know what I ’m saying ? It did n’t change anything for me . I recall , ‘ Okay , I understand why they did it , because it ’s maybe easier to exercise with a zombie when she ’s a footling missy than a tot . "
Related : Pet Sematary ’s remaking Did ONE Thing So Much Better Than the Original
IT Chapter Two (2019)
Just as withIT , King to a great extent praisedIT Chapter Twoprior to free , and he also directly call the bountiful twirl involving Richie being revealed as gay and harboring unrequited love for Eddie . " No , I never did . But again , it ’s one of those things that ’s kind of maven , because it recall the beginning . It comes full circle . "
Doctor Sleep (2019)
As mentioned above , Stephen King loved theDoctor Sleepmovie so much that it ’s softened his infamously harsh opinion ofThe Shining . Here ’s his full quote on the topic , given toEW :
I read the script to this one very , very carefully , . Because obviously I wanted to do a skillful job with the subsequence , because people knewthe bookThe Shining , and I thought , I do n’t want to screw this up . Mike Flanagan , I ’ve enjoyed all his movies , and I ’ve worked with him before onGerald ’s Game . So , I read the script very , very cautiously and I said to myself , ‘ Everything that I ever disliked about the Kubrick version ofThe Shiningis pay off for me here .
I do n’t want to get into a big argument about how great theShiningfilm is that Kubrick did or my feelings about it . All I can say is , Mike took my material , he created a howling story , people who have seen this movie flip for it , and I flip for it , too . Because he managed to take my novel ofDoctor Sleep , the sequel , and somehow weld it seamlessly tothe Kubrick versionofThe Shining , the picture show . So , yeah , I like it a pile .
The Outsider (2020)
The Outsiderwas one of the most recent Stephen King books to be adapt for television set , and the author has been nothing but glowing toward it , as were most critics . In an interview withNPR , King said : " Well , I make love the serial . I loved what they did to it . "
The Stand (2020-2021)
The Standis a 2020 - 2021 miniseries render Stephen King ’s post - apocalyptic oeuvre of the same name . splendidly one of his longer book , rivaling the length ofIT , The Standhad an all - star cast roaming a existence that has been overridden by a fateful pandemic . Stephen King’sThe Standmade changesthat did n’t support the original story , but Stephen King had positive things to say about the miniseries in an interview withCBS : " I ’m eff this iteration of The Stand . especial kudos to my Dome alumna , Natalie Martinez , and Owen Teague , who was good in IT and really kills it as Harold Lauder . James Marsden … Odessa Young … Alexander , brother of Bill … all so damn good . "
have-to doe with : Stephen King Almost Saved 2020 ’s The Stand Miniseries
Lisey’s Story (2021)
The coronavirus - delay miniseriesLisey ’s narration , star acting old stager Julianne Moore , combines psychological repulsion and romance to bring the sad story of widow woman Lisey Landon to life . The dramatic play / horror miniseries accommodate King ’s book of the same name , and the writer was in complete control over the show as he had previously turn down to accommodate the deeply personal tale . In an interview withEntertainment Weekly , King opined :
" Yeah , I would say that I ’m 100 percent satisfied with the way things await . The great affair about this was Guy Dyas , who design Boo’ya Moon and built it , make these huge , huge sets . They were at the Brooklyn Navy Yard . You sing about spooky , the coronavirus add up alongand shut us down , and for a while , those sets just sat there deserted . Boo’ya Moon was very creepy at that prison term . I saw it with everybody gone , and it just looked haunted to me . It was wonderful . He just fill up it with these strange plants and designs . Yeah , I would have to say I ’m pretty satisfied with the way it turn out . "
Chapelwaite (2021)
Not to be jumble with King ’s full - distance novel , Salem ’s Lot , Chapelwaiteis based on his shortsighted floor calledJerusalem ’s Lot . It was first published in his brusk story aggregation titledThe Night Shift , and it ’s narrate primarily through a diverseness of varsity letter and diary incoming from the protagonist Charles Boone . Stephen Kinghad nothing but congratulations for the show despiteChapelwaite ’s difference from the short tale , saying viaTwitter,“CHAPELWAITE ( EPIX ) is very , very unspoilt . ball - to - the - wall gothic repugnance . All thriller , no filler . "
Next : Why Stephen King merit The Biopic Treatment
