It’s the Booze Talkin’; Future looks bright for Stephen King adaptations!

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

It was the summer of 2017, and fans of Stephen King were getting hyped for a couple of new flicks from the man's vivid imagination. While it’s always cool to see big name actors in a King adaptation, the idea of both Matthew McConaughey and Idris Elba taking on THE DARK TOWER appeared to be especially thrilling. However, the final project was a dismal failure for both critics and movie fans alike. After the excitement for the film came crashing down, we were left waiting for a flick about a killer clown named Pennywise who brought horrible frights on a young group of kids. Since even two great actors like Elba and McConaughey couldn't save the Tower, I wasn’t terribly sure that IT could possible be a success. And then… IT happened. Released on September 8, 2017, the film starring Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise was far better than most of us could've ever expected. Yes, I was a massive fan.

The love for King’s work didn’t stop there. In fact, the incredibly gifted filmmaker Mike Flanagan (OCULUS, The Haunting of Hill House) wanted to bring audiences yet another tasty morsel from the author’s impressive collection. Mr. Flanagan took the always terrific Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood and gave us a taut and thrilling take on the novel Gerald’s Game. The Netflix feature not only cemented Flanagan as a filmmaker that can bring about serious shocks and scares, but it continued to show that the prolific author had plenty of fans waiting for his return to the big screen. It was only a taste of what was about to happen when the film was released on the streaming service on September 29 that same year.

With the success of IT and Gerald’s Game, we’ve seen a couple of other King adaptations including the Thomas Jane Netflix feature 1922 – also in 2017. Most recently however, we all took a trip to a creepy PET SEMATARY thanks to STARRY EYES filmmakers’ Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer. Sure, some of you didn’t jive on this particular remake, but frankly I was all for it. From the bizarre funeral procession to the f*cked up final sequence, I was a fan of what the fellas had to offer. And frankly, that cat was badass! While this flick certainly didn’t bring the kind of box office dollars that IT did, it was enough to keep Stephen King’s name in our collective minds for what happens to be heading our way.

This may be controversial to some, but one of my favorite stories to hit the cinema is that old haunted hotel from Stanley Kubrick. And yes, I prefer his take on THE SHINING to the novel and the lackluster TV-miniseries from 1997. In fact, I’ve always been such a fan that I’d even dreamed up sequel ideas of my own for this fantastic feature film. And thanks to Stephen King himself, we have exactly that. While the novel “Doctor Sleep” is connected to the original novel and not Kubrick’s classic, I'm especially excited to see a return to this spooky world that was created. And since Mike Flanagan has a ridiculously solid track record, I can't wait to see what he does with the upcoming feature starring Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson. What’s more… I am thrilled to see that it appears that Flanagan was able to instill elements of Kubrick’s film into his upcoming sequel. Yes, I’m fully on board for this one.

The idea of a sequel to THE SHINING brings a ton of joy to this film lover, but that’s only the beginning for King’s work. Aside from IT: CHAPTER 2 – which looks absolutely brilliant – we also have a few other adaptations coming soon. There is a feature film version of the excellent vampire tale SALEM’S LOT. Like IT, the only thing that came before is a creepy TV-movie from 1979. As well, it looks like we have another FIRESTARTER hitting the big screen – the original is terribly underrated as far as I’m concerned – and we can also expect REST STOP, GREY MATTER, ONE FOR THE ROAD, MILE 81 and tons more. However, we also have a ton of stuff coming on the small screen as well. Creepshow is returning which he will have a bit of involvement in. There’s another try for The Dark Tower, as well as yet another take on The Stand. If you want more Stephen King, well, now is the time to be a fan of the incredible writer’s work.

Maybe it’s the booze talkin’; but the future looks bright for Stephen King adaptations. Frankly, I’ve been a fan of not only his novels, but a number of his theatrical and television tales of terror. From Brian De Palma’s CARRIE to Frank Darabont’s THE MIST and beyond, it’s impossible to resist this man’s impressively haunted mind. The one concern is that when something is hugely popular, the copycats come out of the woodwork and they're rarely even close to as fulfilling. Even still, with all the amazing tales that this man has brought us, I have a hard time believing that this wave is even close to fading out. So bring it on! Bring on IT: CHAPTER 2, FIRESTARTER, DOCTOR SLEEP and whatever nightmares that need reawakened. After all, Stephen King is called the master of horror for a reason.