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
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2016 – 2016-00-00
- Showrunner
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James Franco
- Directors
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James Franco
- Writers
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James Franco
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Sarah Gadon
Sadie Dunhill
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Chris Cooper
Al Templeton
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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
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November 3, 1976
- Runtime
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98 minutes
- Director
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Brian De Palma
- Writers
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Lawrence D. Cohen
- Producers
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Paul Monash
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Piper Laurie
Margaret White
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-
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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.
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
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December 9, 1983
- Runtime
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110 minutes
- Director
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John Carpenter
- Writers
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Bill Phillips, Stephen King
- Producers
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Richard Kobritz
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Keith Gordon
Arnie Cunningham
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John Stockwell
Dennis Guilder
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Alexandra Paul
Leigh Cabot
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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
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October 21, 1983
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Christopher Walken
Johnny Smith
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Brooke Adams
Sarah Bracknell
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Tom Skerritt
Sheriff Bannerman
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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
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September 8, 2017
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Bill Skarsgård
Pennywise
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Sophia Lillis
Beverly Marsh
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Jaeden Martell
Bill Denbrough
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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.
