Every Movie Remake of a Stephen King Adaptation, Ranked (Including The Running Man)

2025 continues to show that Stephen King‘s bibliography is consistently adaptable. For a half century now, the author has found his novels and short stories adapted for both the big and small screen. 50 years is a long time, and they have shown great advances in the craft of filmmaking, but what remains steady is how adaptations have well-drawn characters to work with. How convincingly the projects are able to bring the stories’ supernatural elements to life is secondary to them. But, with the release of Edgar Wright’s The Running Man, the second adaptation of King’s 1982 novel, there has never been a better time to ask, “Can second cinematic takes on a King novel work better than the first time?” As one might expect, the results have varied.

What follows are the five big screen movies that were the second attempt to bring a King work to life. The film could have been a remake of a miniseries, but the remake must have gone to theaters. For instance, Salem’s Lot (2024) didn’t count because it debuted on HBO Max. How does The Running Man stack up against its sophomore effort brethren? Let’s find out.

5) Firestarter

Keith Thomas’ 2022 version of Firestarter was widely deemed inferior to the 1984 original, which wasn’t even a remotely high bar to clear. But that consensus is fair, as it’s a bland and not particularly visually appealing remake.

Of all the more modern Stephen King movies, Firestarter feels the most loss. Everyone involved seems to know they’re in a wholly generic work and none of them seem to be giving it their all. The Razzie nomination for young Ryan Kiera Armstrong was out of line, but this is definitely a movie worthy of receiving some not so desirable Razzie love.

Stream Firestarter on Netflix.

4) Carrie

Unlike Firestarter, Carrie (2013) did have a high bar to clear in Brian De Palma’s 1976 classic, the very first cinematic adaptation of King’s works. And, while it does fall short in every regard, there are worse things Carrie could have been than wholly average.

Chloë Grace Moretz tries, but she seems a bit miscast. Then there’s Julianne Moore, who overacts not unlike Piper Laurie did in De Palma’s film, but that was a particular tightrope Laurie walked to a much more successful degree. For the most part the movie just seems to exist to cash in on a brand name and make some swift and easy money for Sony on a relatively low-risk $30 million budget. All that said, it does have two performances that rival the work seen in the original film. Namely, Judy Greer was a great choice for the empathic Ms. Desjardin and Portia Doubleday is note perfect as the bullying Chris Hargensen. They steal the movie, but that’s not enough to make it good when most of the runtime is, of course, devoted to Carrie and Margaret White.

Stream Carrie on fuboTV.

3) Pet Sematary

Technically, the 2019 version of Pet Sematary is better than Mary Lambert’s 1989 take. That film, which has a strong reputation it doesn’t quite deserve, is both self-serious and an utter cheese fest. It has what is undoubtedly the best screamed to the heavens “No!” in film history, including Darth Vader’s.

The thing is, between the cheese of the screenplay and the charming performance by Fred Gwynne, the 1989 Pet Sematary is memorable. The 2019 version? It’s just dour and bland. That said, it is well-cast, with both Jason Clarke and Amy Seimetz struggling to inject some life into a film that seems to be trying to capitalize on It‘s success two years prior.

Stream Pet Sematary on Paramount+.

2) The Running Man

Thanks to a charismatic lead performance by Glen Powell and typically stylish direction by Edgar Wright, The Running Man manages to stand above the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger fronted version even if it will likely escape the viewer’s memory shortly after the credits have rolled. Much to its credit it doesn’t take long to get going and, once it starts, it never stops.

It’s a perfectly suitable and digestible popcorn movie, one that never quite goes as far as it should in its commentary about modern day society but gets points for trying, nonetheless. Perhaps most importantly, this is further proof after Anyone But You, Hit Man, and Twisters that Powell has exactly what it takes to carry a movie.

1) It & It Chapter Two

As mentioned, we’re including movies that are more modernized versions of miniseries. However, it would be fair to debate just how much of an influence Tommy Lee Wallace’s 1990 It miniseries was on Andy Muschietti’s big screen duology. If anything, it was more inspired by another cinematic adaptation of King’s works: Stand by Me.

Muschietti has stated that he wasn’t a big fan of the miniseries but, even still, that miniseries (which is structurally non-chronological, just like King’s book) existed before It and It Chapter Two, so we’re including them. And, while It Chapter Two is a major step down from its predecessor, it’s still good enough to help the duology secure the number one spot. From the work by the young cast to the tone to Bill Skarsgård’s performance as Pennywise it was an example of a lot of integral factors coming together just right.

Stream It and It Chapter Two on HBO Max.

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