Stephen King has published 65 novels and novellas so far. Over the years, filmmakers and television producers have tapped into most of these works, making King the second most adapted author of all time, behind only William Shakespeare. Unsurprisingly, a few of his books have been adapted more than once, often due to their timeless popularity and thematic depth. At times, the success (or failure) of a previous adaptation has inspired the production of a new one.
For every book adapted more than once, debates have often emerged regarding which screen version is better. For example, a small section of fans prefers the miniseries version of The Shining, made by the author himself, instead of Stanley Kubrick’s ‘80s movie. However, there is always a standout production in most cases, one that shines so brightly that people don’t care about the rest.
Here’s every Stephen King book adapted more than once.
‘The Stand’ (1975)
2 Adaptations
Hoping to create an epic in the spirit of The Lord of the Rings, King wrote The Stand in the early ‘70s, a book that would become one of his most celebrated works. It follows the aftermath of a weaponized superflu called “Captain Trips” that has wiped out over 99% of humanity. The survivors are now split into two groups: the good, led by the elderly Mother Abigail, and the bad, led by Randall Flagg, a villain that King has used several more times in other stories.
Did King Foresee COVID?
The Stand’s published uncut version has 1,152 pages, so adapting the book into a movie has always proved challenging. Consequently, plans to make something for theaters have kept on changing, with the final product being a TV show. A planned ‘80s movie ended up as a 1994 miniseries, while a planned 2010s movie starring Ben Affleck ended up as a 2020 miniseries.
Of the two shows, the ‘90s version is crowd-pleasing awesomeness. It features several authentically staged action sequences and offers sporadic bursts of grittiness that make the battle of wills all the more entertaining. Consequently, it received six Emmy nominations. The newer version, partly written by King’s son, Owen, has some of the worst character development on television.
‘The Dead Zone’ (1979)
2 Adaptations
The Dead Zone was the first of Stephen King’s novels to rank among the top ten novels of the year in America. It was also the first book to feature Castle Rock, a recurring setting in the author’s works. The story’s central character is Johnny Smith, a schoolteacher who awakens from a five-year coma after a car accident to discover he has clairvoyant and precognitive abilities — able to see people’s pasts and futures through touch. He gets particularly concerned when he foresees rising politician Greg Stillson triggering a nuclear apocalypse.
Master Cronenberg At Work
Director David Cronenberg adapted the book first, making a movie with no noticeable flaws. Benefitting from a strong performance by Christopher Walken, the 1983 film also contains a few creative liberties that give the story more weight rather than making it lean. The TV show is equally good, but it often feels too stretched and trope-filled, no different from many other 2000s sci-fi shows. Even worse, it ends on a major cliffhanger, following a Season 6 cancellation.
‘Pet Sematary’ (1983)
2 Adaptations
After Stephen King’s daughter’s cat was killed by a truck along a road, he imagined what could happen if the cat came back to life. He thus wrote Pet Sematary, about a doctor who moves with his family to rural Maine, unaware that an ancient Micmac burial site near their home can bring the dead back to life. Things get interesting when the doc’s young son tries to use the ground to resurrect the family’s dead cat.
King Recreated the Book’s Magic
The 1989 adaptation (which spawned a sequel) is the superior version, with a script written by King himself. The movie’s overriding virtue is that, instead of simplifying the resurrection issue and making it all black and white, it leaves us with a sense of how hopelessly muddled the entire situation is, with members of a once decent family duped by their minds into sanctioning the weirdest acts — all in the name of survival.
King hasn’t always written the best screenplays, but he does a great job here. The 2010 movie has a great cast that includes John Lithgow and Jason Clarke, but the story often feels muddled. Recently, Guillermo del Toro said that he would love to make his own version. That would be totally awesome.
‘The Running Man’ (1982)
2 Adaptations
The Running Man — impressively written in a single week — is the last of four books written by Stephen King under the norm de plume Richard Bachman before the author’s real identity was leaked. It is set in a dystopian and economically ruined America during the year 2025 and follows protagonist Ben Richards as he participates in a reality show in which contestants evade a team of hitmen for a chance to win a huge sum of money.
More Action, More Fun
Creative liberties can be a good thing, as proved in the 1987 movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. In it, Captain Ben Richards ends up on the show as some form of punishment for refusing to participate in the rounding up of dissidents. Like every other character played by the veteran action star, Richards is bold and vindictive, with a streak of violence in him that runs through the film like a humming power line. King admitted that Schwarzenneger’s character was very different from what he had in mind while writing, but that he was very pleased with how the story had been told on the screen. In the 2025 movie, releasing on November 7, Glen Powell is unlikely to top what Schwarzenneger did, but we’ll definitely acknowledge it if it happens.
‘The Mist’ (1988)
2 Adaptations
In the novella The Mist, a dense, mysterious mist shrouds the entire town of Bridgton, Maine. Moments later, otherworldly creatures emerge and begin attacking residents. Commercial artist David Drayton, who had gone to the store with his young son to get supplies, becomes trapped in the building, together with several other residents. They thus must do their best to survive. King came up with the idea when he went to a local supermarket with his son shortly after a deadly storm.
Greatest Twist-Ending in Horror Movie History?
Here, we have one of the clearest wins in a contest of any two adaptations. The 2007 film is widely celebrated, with King even acknowledging that the heartbreaking ending, where David shoots his son to prevent him from being mauled by the creatures (and plans to also kill himself), only to realize help was seconds away, is better than what he presented in the book. On a technical level, the motion picture’s use of high contrast photography, dense shadowy interiors, and occasional superposition is extraordinarily effective.
The TV show, which aired on Spike in 2017, lacks any effective jump scares and was canceled after one season. One has to ask if it was even logical to stretch this story beyond a few episodes. A plan for a four-episode miniseries would have resulted in something more robust.
‘Firestarter’ (1980)
2 Adaptations
Firestarter finds Andy McGee and his young daughter, Charlie, who are on the lam, fleeing from a secret government agency known as The Shop. Years earlier, Andy and Charlie’s mother had participated in an experiment that gave them mild psychic abilities. Consequently, Charlie was born with pyrokinesis. The Shop now wants to exploit Charlie’s abilities.
The Better of Two Bad Options
The book was first adapted into a film of the same name in 1984 (which later got a miniseries sequel) and then into another movie in 2022. Both movies are underwhelming, to be honest, but those really keen on seeing how the story unfolds on the screen will be better off with the ’80s version. Its dialogue is slightly better, and Martin Sheen’s performance is something to admire. Interestingly, that particular movie was meant for John Carpenter, but it was taken from him after The Thing underperformed at the box office. They wrote off the man too soon.
‘The Shining’ (1977)
2 Adaptations
The Shining opens with Jack Torrance, a struggling writer and recovering alcoholic, heading to the historic Overlook Hotel in the Colorado Rockies with his family. He has just accepted a position as the off-season caretaker. Little does he know that supernatural forces have a firm grip on the building, and they’re about to mess with his sanity. King was influenced by his visit to The Stanley Hotel in the early ‘70s and his endless struggle with alcoholism.
Kubrick Knows Best
Stephen King hates the Stanley Kubrick adaptation, but almost everyone else thinks it rocks. Jack Nicholson’s disturbing portrayal of the killer father isn’t a far cry from his other roles, and he nails every scene. Also see it for a wonderfully creepy Scatman Crothers, and Danny Lloyd, who scores as a young Danny Torrance, especially in the snow scene. The rest of the cast isn’t quite impressive, but, because no one else has too much screen time, the acting deficiencies can be pardoned. One of Kubrick’s trashiest efforts — in the very best sense. What about the ‘90s miniseries produced by King himself? Fuggedaboudit!
‘Carrie’ (1974)
3 Adaptations
Carrie almost never happened as Stephen King had given up on writing it because he was uncomfortable with the material. His wife, Tabitha, convinced him to retrieve the first three pages of the story from the trash, and so King’s debut novel was born, launching his mainstream success (Thanks Tabitha). Set in the town of Chamberlain, Maine, the plot revolves around Carrie White, a reclusive high school girl who is constantly abused by both her zealot mother and school bullies. Unknown to many, she has telekinetic powers, and after a cruel prank on prom night, Carrie goes on a rampage.
The Beginning of a Great Trend
Directors David Carson and Kimberly Peirce, who made the 2002 and 2013 adaptations, respectively, should have focused on other endeavors instead of trying to mine from King’s famous semi-epistolary novel. Brian De Palma’s 1976 movie is simply too good to top. Carson’s work is too long, with poor special effects, while Peirce’s work has no solid scares.
Brian De Palma’s film is not only great, but also holds a special position culturally, as it is the first of more than 100 productions adapted from, or based on, the published works of Stephen King. Above all, the ‘70s gem is boosted by wonderful performances. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie, playing Carrie and her mother, respectively, both earned Oscar nominations. A television series is currently in production… but… is it necessary?
‘Salem’s Lot’ (1975)
3 Adaptations
The story of Salem’s Lot involves Ben Mears, an author, who returns to his childhood town of Jerusalem’s Lot in Maine, only to discover that the residents are morphing into vampires. In 1987, Stephen told The Highway Patrolman magazine that it was his favorite story, “mostly because of what it says about small towns,” adding, “They are kind of a dying organism right now.”
Watch Out for the Fangs
Salem’s Lot was adapted into a 1979 two-part miniseries directed by Tobe Hooper, followed by a 2004 television miniseries directed by Mikael Salomon, and then a feature film for HBO Max, released on Max on October 3, 2024. Among the three, the ‘70s miniseries is the best and most faithful version. Tobe Hooper infused it with the gradual, creeping dread he did in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the vampire Kurt Barlow was super terrifying. Deservedly, the show received three Emmy nominations. Contrarily, the other two adaptations have no sense of urgency. Your thoughts will keep drifting.
‘It’ (1986)
4 Adaptations
Structured in a non-linear narrative style, It is about seven children who are terrorized by an evil entity called It, which cleverly exploits the fears of its intended victims to create disguises while hunting. The shapeshifting predator primarily takes the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown to attract children.
Pennywise Lives On
It has been adapted four times, first into a two-part television miniseries starring Tim Curry, then into a 52-part Indian horror thriller series titled Woh, and later into a two-part movie. A prequel show, It: Welcome to Derry, was also recently made, taking place before the two most recent movies.
So, which version stands taller? It Chapter One and It Chapter Two are neck-to-neck, but the first installment takes the win because of its pacing, structure, and focused tone. Additionally, Pennywise is more mysterious and terrifying the first time around.
