For decades now,Stephen Kinghas terrified the world with his dark and twisted novels. Ever sinceCarriefirst hit the shelves in 1974, King’s books have been synonymous with awards and acclaim. It didn’t take long for the film industry to recognize the cinematic quality of his work, and nowadays, it’s rarer to find one of his novels that hasn’t been adapted into a film or TV series than to find one that has.
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The Shawshank Redemptionis widely regarded as one of the best films ever made whileIT: Chapter Onebroke countless box-office records on its release.Stephen King fans are known to be especially passionate, and with King still releasing books at an awe-inspiring rate, there is no sign of the horror universe he has built slowing down anytime soon.
Mile 81- Don’t Rest At This Rest Stop
Like most of King’s work,Mile 81is set in King’s hometown Maine. Mile 81 is a boarded-up rest stop on the Maine turnpike where Pete finds and drinks an entire bottle of vodka, meaning he doesn’t notice the mud-splattered station wagon that pulls up beside him.
Nor does he see when the door opens, but nobody climbs out.Alistar Legrand, known for horror filmsThe DiabolicandClinical,is at the helm of what is sure to be one of the most chilling adaptations of King’s work.
Apt Pupil- What’s Going On in the Suburbs?
Set in the fictional suburb of Santa Donato,Apt Pupilfollows teenager Todd Bowden who discovers that his elderly neighbor is a wanted Nazi war criminal. Todd then uses this knowledge to blackmail the old man, forcing him to share the details of his crimes, threatening to expose his true identity should he refuse.
Todd soon becomes dissatisfied with simply hearing stories of murder and begins claiming lives for himself. Though the story is excellent, this adaptation has the onerous burden of recasting a character first played by Academy-Award nominatedIan McKellen, a predicament that the casting director is bound to lose some sleep over. Still, King adaptations have offered plenty of surprise career-defining roles in the past, such asLizzy Caplan as Annie Wilkes in Castle Rock, so we assume we’re in good hands.
After Emily’s daughter dies, she takes up the hobby of running to deal with her pain. After weeks of running, Emily stumbles upon a woman whose throat has been slashed dumped in the back of a car. Before she can alert anybody to the situation, Emily herself is taken hostage by the murderer.
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Details on this adaptation are particularly scarce, butCraig R. Baxleyis on board to write and direct the film. Casting will be essential for a project like this, and the actress who plays Emily will have to be capable of portraying a woman drenched with grief who finds her inner strength when it matters the most.
Sleeping Beauties- A Novel Written By Two Generations Of Kings
First published in 2017,Sleeping Beautieswas co-written by Stephen King and his sonOwen King, best known for the novelsDouble FeatureandDetours. Sleeping Beauties is the tale of a mysterious sickness that causes women to fall into a deep sleep, while suddenly becoming cocooned in a strange material.
Perhaps the most exciting element of this adaptation is the fact that the script for the TV series has been written by Owen King himself, ensuring that it will stay faithful to the source material.
Firestarter- A Film With The Potential To Ignite The Box Office
Thirty-seven years after the first, poorly-received adaptation of King’s popular novelFirestarter, the time has finally come for a reboot. The story follows Charlie McGee as she tries to uncover how she suddenly gained the power to set things on fire with her mind.
Directed byKeith Thomas, known forThe Vigil, Firestarter also boasts a cast ofZac Efron,Gloria Reuben, andMichael Greyeyes. Though Firestarter doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet, the film is expected to hit theatres at some point in 2022, meaning there isn’t long to wait to see how the rebooted Firestarter compares to the other.
The Institute- A Mini-Series By The Director Of Mr. Mercedes
One of King’s most popular novels of the last decade, there’s a tremendous amount of excitement regarding the upcoming adaptation ofThe Institute. The novel revolves around Luke Ellis, a young man with telekinetic abilities who is kidnapped from his home and taken to an institute filled with children who all have powers similar to his.
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Knowing that his days there are numbered, Luke plans an elaborate escape aiming to tell the world about the horrible treatment of the kidnapped children at the institute. No cast or crew has been confirmed for this adaptation yet, but the quality of the story should be enough to see it through no matter who is handed the reigns.
UntitledPet SemataryPrequel - A Fresh Take On An Old Classic
Plot details on the prequel adaptation of Stephen King’s 1983 spine-chilling novelPet Semataryare scarce, but the cast alone is enough to build up excitement. Expected in 2022, the prequel will starNatalie Alyn Lind,Vincent Leclerc, andPam Grier, to name just a few.
Lindsey Beeris making her directorial debut on the project, which is rumored to explain the origins of the “sematary” and the mystical powers it possesses. ThePet Sematary(2019) reboot featured an especially bleak endingand opened to mixed reviews, but a fresh take on the material is sure to reinterest fans.
Mr. Harrigan’s Phone- A Feature-Length Adaptation Of A Chilling Short Story
Mr. Harrigan’s Phonewas released in Stephen King’sIf It Bleedsanthology and tells the story of a young boy, Craig, who befriends Mr. Harrigan, a rich old man, and introduces him to modern technology. When Mr. Harrigan passes away, Craig takes his iPhone as a souvenir, and when the lonely boy sends his deceased friend a text message, he struggles to understand how he gets a reply.
Not only is this one of King’s most inventive stories, but the cast is a wonderful mix of established talent and up-and-coming stars. Emmy winnerDonald Sutherlandwill play Mr. Harrigan, whereasJaeden Martellreturns for his third outing in the world of Stephen King adaptations, afterIT: Chapter OneandIT: Chapter Two.
Salem’s Lot- Bring Plenty Of Garlic And A Wooden Stake Or Two
Another King property well overdue a remake,Salem’s Lot,originally aired as a two-part mini-series in 1979. Based on the second novel King ever published, the story follows Ben Mears, who arrives in the fictional town of Jerusalem’s Lot only to eventually discover that all of the town’s residents are turning into vampires.
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King has admitted that Salem’s Lot is one of his favorite books because of the commentary on the death of small American towns. With a cast featuring the likes ofWilliam Sadler,Alfre Woodard, andBill Camp, directorGary Daubermanhas a lot of talent to work with on this one.
The Running Man- This Adaptation Has Found The Wright Director
Fresh from the genre-bendingLast Night In Soho,acclaimed directorEdgar Wrighthas set his eyes onThe Running Man, which he will write alongsideMichael Bacall. An earlier adaptation, starringArnold SchwarzeneggerandRichard Dawson, was released to mixed reviews in 1987.
Wright will be hoping to more accurately capture the heart of the story that King first published under the pseudonym, Richard Bachman. Wright’s recent experience capturing the essence of the 1960s in Last Night In Soho is sure to stand him in good stead with handling the dystopian future of The Running Man, a film that he will surely stamp with his trademark directorial style.
