No living author has had more of their work adapted for the screen than Stephen King. If it weren’t for William Shakespeare, you could expand that to “living or dead.” There are good Stephen King adaptations and terrible Stephen King adaptations. There are adaptations that have become iconic and others you’ve never heard of. Today we’re focusing on some of the best.
11.22.63 (2016)
Every boomer’s fantasy comes to life
This Hulu miniseries is about a teacher (James Franco) who is given the opportunity to go back in time and prevent the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
As long as we’re talking about King movies with numbers for titles, 1408 is a fun film about an author (John Cusack) who gets trapped in a haunted hotel room. You’ll notice a couple of such bonus recommendations throughout the article; there have been so many good King movies that we have to sneak some in at the margins. You can stream 1408 on Hulu.
Release Date
2016 – 2016-00-00
Showrunner
James Franco
Directors
James Franco
Writers
James Franco
Sarah Gadon
Sadie Dunhill
Chris Cooper
Al Templeton
Daniel Webber
Lee Harvey Oswald
Carrie (1976)
Where it all started
Carrie, about a young girl with telekinetic powers, was Stephen King’s first published novel, and the 1976 movie starring Sissy Spacek is a bona fide classic that set the stage for all the successful adaptations to come.
There are also a couple of movies out there based on Firestarter, a sister story to Carrie, about a young girl who can start fires with her mind. You’re better off avoiding those.
Release Date
November 3, 1976
Runtime
98 minutes
Director
Brian De Palma
Writers
Lawrence D. Cohen
Producers
Paul Monash
Piper Laurie
Margaret White
Castle Rock (2018-2019)
The Stephen King cinematic universe
Castle Rock is a two-season Hulu series that mixes and matches different settings, events, and characters from Stephen King’s works into one interconnected story. You might want to wait until you’ve seen some of the rest of the movies and shows on this list before diving in to make sure you understand all the references, although it’s good enough that you can also enjoy it if you go in cold.
Release Date
2018 – 2019-00-00
Showrunner
Dustin Thomason
Directors
Dustin Thomason
Christine (1983)
Beep beep
The idea of a killer car might sound silly, and it is, but director John Carpenter’s take on King’s novel is fun and thrilling. This is another King story that’s very boomer-coded, what with that generation’s fascination with classic cars.
Release Date
December 9, 1983
Runtime
110 minutes
Director
John Carpenter
Writers
Bill Phillips, Stephen King
Producers
Richard Kobritz
Keith Gordon
Arnie Cunningham
John Stockwell
Dennis Guilder
Alexandra Paul
Leigh Cabot
Robert Prosky
Will Darnell
The Dead Zone (1983)
Christopher Walken can see the future
Christopher Walken turns in an iconic performance in The Dead Zone as Johnny Smith, a schoolteacher who awakens from a coma to find he has psychic powers. Director David Cronenberg elevates this one by bringing his own brand of freaky body horror to it.
Release Date
October 21, 1983
Runtime
103 minutes
Director
David Cronenberg
Christopher Walken
Johnny Smith
Brooke Adams
Sarah Bracknell
Tom Skerritt
Sheriff Bannerman
Herbert Lom
Dr. Sam Weizak
Gerald’s Game (2017)
No kink-shaming, but…
Not all of King’s stories have a supernatural element, although Gerald’s Game is definitely scary. A husband (Bruce Greenwood) dies while having kinky sex with his wife (Carla Gugino). She’s handcuffed to the bed at the time. What does she do then?
IT
Killer clown from outer space
There have been a lot of adaptations of IT, King’s massive book about an evil entity that often takes the form of a malevolent clown. The best are the pair of movies from 2017 and 2019, although the 1990 miniseries also has a creepy, campy charm. You can watch that one on HBO Max.
Personally, I thought the recent prequel show IT: Welcome to Derry was among the most disappointing shows of 2025.
Release Date
September 8, 2017
Runtime
135 minutes
Director
Andy Muschietti
Bill Skarsgård
Pennywise
Sophia Lillis
Beverly Marsh
Jaeden Martell
Bill Denbrough
Jack Dylan Grazer
Eddie Kaspbrak
The Life of Chuck (2024)
Tom Hiddleston X Stephen King
For a King adaptation, The Life of Chuck has very positive vibes, although it does start with the death of the title character. It traces Chuck’s life back to his childhood, exploring how his simple life and his relationships created a multitudinous universe filled with joy.
Release Date
May 30, 2025
Runtime
110 minutes
Director
Mike Flanagan
Tom Hiddleston
Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz
Karen Gillan
Felicia Gordon
