Stephan King: 5 Adaptations he Loves

Many prolific and well-known directors have directed King's projects, including John Carpenter and Brian De Palma. Some have been hampered by a limited budget, while others have been hampered by opposing viewpoints on the final product. In any case, it's clear that King watches his adaptations, and he generally believes he knows how they should go.

Posted On September 4th, 2021

Carrie (1976)

Brian De Palma's Carrie was the first and remained one of the best Stephen King adaptations, featuring one of the best performances in a Stephen King adaptation. King himself appears to agree, as he has repeatedly praised the film over the years. King admits that De Palma's vision for the piece differed from his own, but he clearly understands his work's direction.

The Dead Zone (1983)

Most agree that David Cronenberg got many things right in his adaptation of The Dead Zone, from Christopher Walken's lead performance to one of Stephen King's scariest human villains.

Cujo (1983)

"... the people who made Cujo... I was a young writer at the time, and this is a case of them showing some deference to the writer when they didn't have to, contractually, because they did that," King said of the film. So, while the author enjoyed the film, he also felt it was made with respect for him in mind.

Shawshank Redemption (1994)

When asked to name his two favorite adaptations of his work, King rattles off two. The first of these two films is the cult classic The Shawshank Redemption. There's a case to be made that this is the general public's overall King adaptation (horror or otherwise), and the Master of Horror appears to agree.

Stand By Me (1986)

When asked which adaptation is his favorite, King tells Deadline that Stand by Me, "The Body," is another based on his short story. "...I love the Rob Reiner thing, Stand by Me," the author said of the film.