Perhaps no other author has seen their works be so dedicated to cinema as Stephen King. The prolific horror writer has created some of the most frightening, disturbing and unforgettable stories known to literature, which has naturally created a breeding ground for filmmakers around the world.
By bringing King's pen to the screen, directors visualized the rich and detailed worlds of the author's novels and short stories, and actors drew inspiration from his enigmatic characters. Many of these films have won awards and become mainstays in our collective consciousness. Shine To Green Mile And Shawshank Redemption.
Hollywood classics aside, Edgar Wright's running Man in Exclaim cinemas today! looks at some of the most innovative adaptations of King's work, starting with the aforementioned dystopian thriller.
running Man (1982, book; 2025, film)
Directed by Edgar Wright
In 1982, King predicted that 2025 would be the year America's economy collapsed to the point that a young father would turn to reality television to support his family. After a rigorous testing period, the Network includes Ben Richards in “Running Man,” a real-time hunt that offers a life-changing payout if he survives 30 days.
running Man has the distinction of being the penultimate novel published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman before it was discovered that King was Bachman all along. King decided to use the pseudonym as a way to determine whether his early success was due to talent or luck, an answer to which he never received an answer. Although Bachman's identity was revealed in 1985, King insisted that Richard Bachman receive screen credit in the first cinematic adaptation of the novel in 1987, a film directed by Paul Michael Glaser and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Nearly 40 years later, Edgar Wright brings running Man into cinematic life in the year that King's story took place (and with King in the credits). Glen Powell takes on the role of Ben Richards, giving audiences a fresh and powerful portrayal of the story's protagonist. Unlike Glaser's film, Wright stays true to the source material and elevates the narrative with graceful, adrenaline-fuelled set pieces with breathtaking visuals that mesmerize audiences and spark their imagination.
Stand (1978, book; 2020, mini-series)
Developed Josh Boone and Benjamin Cavell
Post-apocalyptic dark fantasy. Stand represents a world in the aftermath of a weaponized flu that wiped out the populations of countries one after another. As the US rebuilds, shady characters like Randall Flagg try to gain a foothold in the situation and create a cult society that starts a war. Flagg became a popular antagonist for King and has since appeared in four novels under different pseudonyms.
The popular novel that inspired musicians and has been adapted into a miniseries by Marvel Comics and twice for television. The latest version in 2020 in the Paramount+ series of the same name starred Alexander Skarsgård as Flagg. Developed by Josh Boone and Benjamin Cavell, the series also features James Marsden, Odessa Young and Owen Teague, survivors from across the country looking to move forward in life.
A dark yet energetic limited series filled with stunning ensemble performances. Stand confronts good and evil through the prism of despair and necessity.
Dead zone (1979, book; 1983, film)
Director David Cronenberg
Following the story of Johnny Smith, who wakes up after a five-year coma with apparent clairvoyant powers, Dead zone ponders the extent to which Johnny can and should use his abilities. Using a science fiction framework, King explores themes of loss and the value of rehabilitation through a compelling and thought-provoking narrative.
In his cinematic adaptation, David Cronenberg changes the meaning of the title, redefining the “dead zone” from a part of Johnny's brain that is irreparably damaged to a part of Johnny's psychic visions that he cannot see, effectively allowing him to change the future. Cronenberg's film masterfully combines the unique nature of his and King's work and represents one of the best adaptations of the author's work. Led by a magnetic performance from Christopher Walken as Johnny. Dead zone finds the disturbingly ordinary in an unusual situation.
Stay with me (1982, book (Body); 1986, film)
Director Rob Reiner
Breaking away from conventional science fiction and horror: King's 1982 novella. Body The story follows a group of boys who stumble upon a dead body while walking along the railroad tracks in their hometown. In the vain hope that this discovery will glorify them, Body reflects on growing up in a small town, death and youth.
Four years later BodyIn publication, Rob Reiner adapted the story, casting Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell as the young boy group. Stay with me achieved commercial and critical success, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Reiner's treatment of the novella resonated with audiences, perfectly capturing the precarious yet innocent nature of childhood and the melancholy associated with growing up. After watching the film, King says he was “moved to tears because it was so autobiographical.”
Gerald's Game (1992, book; 2017, film)
Director Mike Flanagan
After fatally kicking her husband in self-defense during a regrettable sex game, Jessie Burlingame finds herself handcuffed to a bedpost with no key and no one to free her. As hours and days pass, Jessie begins to hallucinate, with traumatic memories resurfacing as she tries to escape with her sanity intact.
One of King's works that was considered “impossible to film,” director Mike Flanagan not only found a way into Jesse's soul, but did so with great creativity and a tender heart. Flanagan's 2017 film starring the charming Carla Gugino, which deals with the confusion and suffering of sexual abuse, especially the effects of such abuse in childhood, offers a nuanced approach to sensitive topics that balances horror and grief without missing a beat.
Be sure to catch Edgar Wright running Manstarring Glen Powell, only in cinemas today (November 14).
