Stephen King has been a master of horror for a while now: since Carrie first hit the bookstores in 1974, his books and stories are rich material for anyone who loves horror and dark stories. So, it is logical that Stephen King's stories would also be adapted by the film and television industry. Brian De Palma's Carrie was released in 1976 and earned Oscar nominations for Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie. After its release, dozens of King's works became movies and series, such as the 1990 miniseries and feature adaptation of IT, The Shining, Gerald’s Game, TV's Mr. Mercedes, and Misery, which earned Kathy Bates an Oscar win.
With King’s passionate fanbase and acclaimed author status, his works keep being a – frequently scary – gold mine for filmmakers and film and TV studios. The fact is: while he keeps working as an author, there will be a lot of material to keep adapting and making his horror realm grow. Let’s see which upcoming Stephen King adaptations we're excited for!
Salem’s Lot: Vampire Horror
Set to premiere in September 2022, Salem’s Lot is an adaptation of King’s book of the same name, released in 1975. It follows Ben Mears, a writer who returns to his childhood home in Jerusalem’s Lot and discovers that his hometown is plagued by a vampire, transforming every citizen and trying to conquer the town. To stop the creature, he teams up with an unexpected group of people and starts the fight against the dark forces.
The new Salem’s Lot adaptation is not its first one, as the book had already had two made-for-TV versions in 1979 and 2004. However, it is the first time that it will be adapted for the big screen. The upcoming film is written and directed by Gary Dauberman – the writer of The Conjuring universe movies – and stars Lewis Pullman and Bill Camp. Salem’s Lot is one of the author's most acclaimed works, praised by how he portrays a small town and how the horror brought by the creature that devastates the town creates dread. So, this book is a full plate for anyone who expects a great horror movie.
Christine: Hannibal's Bryan Fuller
One of the most appealing things about Stephen King’s writing is that he can make horror with the most mundane things: a dog with rabies, a clothes iron, or a car. Released in 1983, Christine features a 1958 Plymouth Fury that is possessed by malevolent supernatural forces and is bought by a nerdy high school student. The book was so well received in its release year that it was adapted by John Carpenter – who also directed Halloween, another horror classic - in a movie released in December 1983.
The new adaptation of Christine will be produced by Blumhouse and Sony Pictures. Blumhouse is the production company responsible for some of the most acclaimed horror movies of the last years, like Paranormal Activity, Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Us, Happy Death Day, and The Invisible Man. This can get any horror fan excited by itself. Still, there’s another detail that makes the Christine remake even more exciting. The movie will be written and directed by Bryan Fuller, the reputed creator responsible for series like Hannibal and American Gods, a Neil Gaiman adaptation.
The Running Man: Edgar Wright
The Running Man is not exactly a Stephen King novel, as it was published under his pseudonym Richard Bachman in 1982. The dystopian book's protagonist is Ben Richards, who participates in a reality show called The Running Man. The show's contestants are chased by the public – who will get a considerable bounty if they kill the contestants -- around the world. The plot takes place in 2025, in a ruined United States with a decadent economy and high taxes of violence.
It was previously adapted for cinema in 1987. Arnold Schwarzenegger starred as Ben, and it was directed by Paul Michael Glaser. This adaptation had mixed reviews from the critics and a moderate box office in the United States. But, in 2021, a new adaptation of the book was announced by Paramount Pictures. This time, the director will be Edgar Wright, known for directing the action movie Baby Driver and the psychological horror movie Last Night in Soho, making The Running Man a must-see film.
Other Adaptations
There are other upcoming Stephen King adaptations that were announced but did not receive new updates yet, like the Joyland adaptation by Freeform, which was announced in 2018, or the short story The Little Green God of Agony, based on a King short story released in 2011. So let’s wait and see what the Master of Horror brings to our shelves and screens!