While Stephen King is a prolific horror author, not all of the writer’s upcoming adaptations belong to the genre he is most famous for. Stephen King is a horror legend. Ever since his 1974 debut novel Carrie hit the shelves, the author has been one of the most-read horror writers alive, but not all of King’s biggest hits have been horror novels. While The Shining and IT prove that King is a great storyteller when it comes to spooky subjects, the epic fantasy of The Dark Tower series and the post-apocalyptic epic The Stand prove that there is more than frights in the writer’s back catalog.
This is reflected in King’s screen output too. While Hollywood rarely gets Stephen King adaptations right, some of the industry’s best adaptations of his work are based on the author’s non-horror output. 1994’s The Shawshank Redemption is a masterpiece that is frequently listed among the best movies ever made, and it is based on a novella from King’s collection Different Seasons. As such, it should come as no surprise that not all of the upcoming Stephen King movie adaptations are based on horror stories.
|
Stephen King Project |
Production Status |
|---|---|
|
The Life of Chuck |
Filming wrapped in November 2023 |
|
It: Welcome to Derry |
Releasing on HBO in 2025 |
|
The Monkey |
Filming wrapped in March 2024 |
|
Billy Summers |
In Development |
|
Christine |
In Development |
|
The Dark Tower |
In Development |
|
Elevation |
In Development |
|
Fairy Tale |
In Development |
|
From A Buick 8 |
In Development |
|
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon |
In Development |
|
The Institute |
In Development |
|
The Jaunt |
In Development |
|
Later |
In Development |
|
The Long Walk |
In Development |
|
The Little Green God of Agony |
In Development |
|
The Regulators |
In Development |
|
The Running Man |
In Development |
|
The Talisman |
In Development |
18 The Life of Chuck
Production wrapped in November 2023
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Speaking of directors who have brought King’s more challenging work to life onscreen, Mike Flanagan’s Gerald’s Game proved that the right filmmaker can adapt even King’s trippiest material. Thus, it is exciting to see that Mark Hamill will star in Mike Flanagan’s adaptation of King’s genre-blending short storyThe Life of Chuck. While this effort is likely to be lighter than Flanagan’s Doctor Sleep and his Netflix horror shows, the movie adaptation will still be a tear-jerker, judging by the story’s plot. It is set to star some big-name talent such as Tom Hiddleston, Mark Hamill, Chiwetel Ejiofor, David Dasmalchian, and Matthew Lillard.
|
Actor |
Character |
|---|---|
|
Tom Hiddleston |
Charles “Chuck” Krantz |
|
Mark Hamill |
Albie |
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Chiwetel Ejiofor |
Marty Anderson |
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David Dastmalchian |
TBA |
|
Matthew Lillard |
TBA |
|
Karen Gillan |
TBA |
|
Jacob Tremblay |
TBA |
|
Taylor Gordon |
TBA |
|
Mia Sara as Sarah Krantz |
TBA |
|
Benjamin Pajak |
TBA |
|
Trinity Bliss |
TBA |
|
Q’orianka Kilcher |
TBA |
17 It: Welcome To Derry
Releasing on HBO in 2025
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It: Welcome to Derry is an upcoming Max series that acts as a prequel to the 2017 and 2019 It films. Although it is still based on King’s original It book, the HBO series will feature a new cast of characters, although Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise will be returning. It: Welcome to Derry wrapped production on season 1 in August 2024 and has a scheduled release window of 2025.
16 The Monkey
Production wrapped in March 2024
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Theo James is set to portray the older twins while Christian Convery will play the younger twins in
The Monkey
.
The Monkey is another upcoming Stephen King adaptation with a star-studded cast that includes Theo James (The White Lotus), Elijah Wood (The Lord Of The Rings), Sarah Levy (Schitt’s Creek), Christian Convery (Sweet Tooth), and Tatiana Maslany (She–Hulk: Attorney at Law). The movie is based on King’s 1980 short story of the same name which involves twin brothers Hal and Bill who discover their father’s mysterious and potentially deadly toy monkey that could have supernatural powers. James is set to portray the older twins while Convery will play the younger twins.
15 Billy Summers
Currently in development
The crime thriller Billy Summers tells the story of an Iraq War sniper turned hitman, and the novel earned King some of his best reviews in years upon its release. While admittedly a dark, brutal book, Billy Summers is a departure from the horror genre for King as a story with no supernatural elements. Billy Summers will be adapted by Bad Robot and Leonardo Di Caprio’s production company Appian Way Productions, although it is not yet clear whether DiCaprio himself will play the title role.
14 Christine
Currently in development
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As well as rebooting Friday the 13th for TV as Crystal Lake, Bryan Fuller will soon be directing a remake of King’s killer car horror Christine. Like the IT movie adaptations, Fuller’s remake will update the 1950s setting of the original movie to the ‘80s. Otherwise, the remake looks to maintain the original movie’s story of a nerdy outcast who becomes obsessed with his lethal automobile. There is no clear indication of when Christine will be released, but fans of John Carpenter will still be excited by the prospect of his 1983 cult classic receiving a re-imagining.
13 The Dark Tower
In development
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The poorly-received 2017 The Dark Tower film wasn’t the end for the Stephen King franchise, as another The Dark Tower adaptation is currently in development. Mike Flanagan is currently developing a multi-part TV series for Amazon based on The Dark Tower, and while Flanagan’s work on other Stephen King projects makes this exciting, it seems as if the project is still a long way away.
12 Elevation
In development since 2021
Director Jack Bender has worked with King before on numerous screen adaptations from Under the Dome to Mr. Mercedes. However, the director said that he would be making the leap to feature film versions of the author’s work when he announced that he was working on an adaptation of Elevation back in 2021. There has been no word since on the development of the project, hinting that Bender may be finding it difficult to translate Elevation’s tonally complex plot for the big screen.
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11 Fairy Tale
Currently in development
Although Greengrass is best known for his signature handheld realism, the director might prove that he can branch out into more fanciful filmmaking styles with
Fairy Tale.
Of all people to adapt Stephen King’s foray into the epic fantasy Fairy Tale, the mastermind behind the Jason Bourne trilogy is an unlikely candidate. Despite this, Fairy Tale’s movie adaptation is set to be directed by Paul Greengrass. Although Greengrass is best known for his signature handheld realism, which elevated everything from Bloody Sunday to United 93, the director might prove that he can branch out into more fanciful filmmaking styles with Fairy Tale. The story follows a teenager who discovers a portal to another world where a war between good and evil rages.
Greengrass currently has 11 projects in development, including
Fairy Tale
.
10 From A Buick 8
In development since 2018
Cold in July director Jim Mickle was announced as the director of the dark horror novel adaptation From A Buick 8 way back in 2018. Since then, there has not been much movement on this tense story of a haunted car exposing small-town characters to a nightmarish alternate world. Hopefully, King’s most Lovecraftian horror story will reach the screen soon.
9 The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon
In development since 2020
We Need to Talk About Kevin director Lynne Ramsay will direct an adaption of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, a survival horror set deep in the woods. Until now, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon was considered “un-adaptable” since the novel takes place mostly in the mind of a lost, bewildered, and increasingly delirious child. However, Ramsay has already proven to be great at translating complex, morally ambiguous stories to the screen successfully.
8 The Institute
In development since 2024
Custom image by Yeider Chacon
The Institute is a 2019 sci-fi novel by Stephen King, with it following a 12-year-old boy who is kidnapped and held in an institute for people with telepathic powers. In June 2024, MGM+ announced that it was developing an 8-episode miniseries based on The Institute, with it being written by David E. Kelley and starring Ben Barnes and Mary-Louise Parker.
7 The Jaunt
In development since 2021
Stephen King’s short story which centers around a world in which teleportation is commonly used is also getting a television adaptation. It was announced in 2021 that Fear the Walking Dead co-creator Dave Erickson would be developing the project, although nothing else has been heard.
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6 Later
In development since 2022
Stephen King’s 2021 crime thriller Later is also getting an adaptation, with it being announced in January 2022. The miniseries will be produced by Jason Blum and written by Raelle Tucker, with the novel following a crime story that involves a protagonist who is able to see dead people.
5 The Little Green God of Agony
In development since 2020
This shocking short tale is both classic King and perfectly suited to Goldberg and Naing.
Eli scribes Ian Goldberg & Richard Naing announced they were working on a script for an adaptation of King’s short story The Little Green God of Agony back in 2020. This shocking short tale is both classic King and perfectly suited to Goldberg and Naing, who made the downbeat horror story The Autopsy of Jane Doe into a moody, gothic triumph. Unfortunately, the release date of The Little Green God of Agony is not yet known, but it was officially annoucned by Lionsgate in 2020.
4 The Long Walk
Finished production in September 2024
Stephen King’s The Long Walk is also getting the feature film treatment, with it being written by Strange Darling‘s JT Mollner and directed by The Hunger Games: Catching Fire‘s Francis Lawrence. After many attempts to adapt The Long Walk, Lionsgate is finally working on the dystopian thriller, with the film having wrapped its production in September 2024.
3 The Regulators
In development since 2022
Stephen King’s 1996 novel The Regulators is also getting an adaptation, with the story being released alongside a mirror book that depicts two parallel worlds populated by the same characters. An adaptation was announced in August 2022, with it being written by George Cowan, although it isn’t known exactly how they are going to pull this adaptation off.
2 The Running Man
In development
Last Night in Soho director Edgar Wright is set to direct a remake of the 1987 action-thriller The Running Man. This King adaptation satirized game shows and American pop culture with the story of a dystopian televised contest wherein players fought to the death to earn a cash prize. The campy 1987 original strayed far from King’s original story, so it will be interesting to see whether Wright sticks to the script. Only time will tell as neither a cast list nor a release date for Edgar Wright’s upcoming Stephen King adaptation has been revealed.
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1 The Talisman
In development since 2021
Stephen King and Peter Straub’s 1984 novel The Talisman is also getting an adaptation, with it following a 12-year-old boy who attempts to find the titular talisman. Amblin announced in 2021 that it was developing a series adaptation of The Talisman for Netflix, with Stranger Things‘ The Duffer Brothers helping to get the Stephen King adaptation made.
Stephen King
Discover the latest news and filmography for Stephen King, known for Creepshow and Sleepwalkers.
Birthdate September 21, 1947 Birthplace Portland, Maine, USA Height 6 feet 4 inches Notable Projects The Shawshank Redemption , The Shining Professions Author , Screenwriter , Producer , Director , Actor