Stephen King is the king when it comes to adaptations. His books are huge successes that span generations, so it’s no surprise he’s had over 60 of his stories adapted for film and TV. But with so many productions, not all of them live up to the original material or are made in the most exciting way for audiences. A lot of the movies based on King’s works didn’t do well and are barely remembered. Today, with remakes and reboots on the rise, fixing those mistakes seems like a great idea (as well as giving them a fresh take). Take IT, for example, which was amazing with its 2017 and 2019 movies, introducing Bill Skarsgård to the world with his highly praised take on Pennywise.
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Here are just a few of the writer’s adaptations that got really bad feedback, or just deserved a much better, more faithful reboot. Not only would King’s fans be grateful, but the horror crowd definitely would be, too.
Dreamcatcher
The Dark Tower already has a remake in development and is one that fans are most looking forward to seeing. However, Dreamcatcher is another one of Stephen King’s stories that some await a truly worthy adaptation. The film came out in 2003 and is about four friends with psychic abilities who gather in a cabin in the mountains near Derry, Maine. When an alien ship crashes in the region, they find themselves involved in a fight for survival against alien creatures that take over people’s bodies. While dealing with the threat, they also have to face a mystery that goes back in time, involving a supernatural power that connects them. Especially for fans of IT, this is a great story to watch due to the similarities.
Still, making a good movie, and even more so with a story of this size, requires great resources, which the adaptation didn’t have. Not well remembered by the general public, it was definitely a critical failure due to poor development, incoherence, and clichés – its Rotten Tomatoes score is 28%. Re-adapting this plot for the present day is a fantastic opportunity, almost as if it were a chance to resurrect and surprise. The story is definitely intriguing, it just needs improvement in the script.
Dreamcatcher is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
The Shining
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A horror classic, The Shining from 1980 has entered Stephen King’s list of success stories. It is remembered to this day for its striking scenes, becoming the inspiration for many types of projects. The premise is quite interesting, following Jack Torrance, a writer in search of inspiration, who takes a job as a caretaker at the Overlook Hotel during the winter. He soon moves in with his wife Wendy and son Danny. However, as time passes, supernatural forces from the hotel begin to influence Jack, driving him insane while Danny has terrifying visions of the place’s dark past.
The movie received 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, and there’s not much reason for criticism. Even so, the story didn’t exactly follow the original material, and even King himself confessed that he hated the adaptation directed by Stanley Kubrick. According to him, the characterization of the protagonist went in the opposite direction, and as a whole, the movie lacked an emotional connection. Changes to the plot that were significant to the story were also one of the points raised. For all that, many of those who haven’t read the author’s work seem to have seen a completely different story. It’s been 45 years since it was first released, so it would be nice to have a reboot that was still in line with what should have been done.
The Shining is available to stream on Max.
Graveyard Shift
The problem with a failed adaptation is not always the plot, but simply other elements such as the cast and direction. Graveyard Shift came out in 1990, inspired by one of the short stories in the collection by King Night Shift. The story follows a group of workers from a decaying textile factory in Maine, recruited to clean out the rat-infested basement during the early shift. Among them is John Hall, a drifter who needs the job, despite the unsanitary conditions and the cruel boss. Then, as they explore the basement, they discover that something far more terrifying than rats inhabits the depths of the factory: a deadly, monstrous creature. Trapped there, the workers struggle to survive.
The story itself appears to be much more interesting to watch on screen than to read, but the opportunity to make a well-done adaptation fell through. To give an idea, the score on Rotten Tomatoes is an incredible 0%, having received criticism for various elements that, taken together, yielded nothing. The script didn’t please with its quality and, above all, what was supposed to be scary was far from it. The actors and director didn’t escape much negative feedback either. Trying a reboot of this story would be a great bet, especially if it’s put in the right hands, as it’s also a good option for incorporating jumpscares.
Graveyard Shift is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Silver Bullet
Nosferatu was a huge success at the cinema in the hands of Robert Eggers, which certainly gives room to consider exploring reboots of supernatural stories more and more. Silver Bullet was released in 1985, based on King’s novel Cycle of the Werewolf, and tells the story of Marty Coslaw, a disabled boy who lives in a small town plagued by a series of mysterious murders every full moon. When he survives an attack and discovers that the culprit is a werewolf, only his sister believes him. With the help of their uncle, the two embark on a hunt to stop the creature before the next full moon.
However, the movie’s ratings weren’t the best. With a score of 41% on Rotten Tomatoes, the production didn’t have much luck with quality, especially in relation to the special effects. It’s understandable, since compared to current films, to see this adaptation is simply to think it’s pretty bad. However, that’s why a reboot is very much worthwhile now, with a story that has great potential to be revisited and could bring an even more terrifying werewolf and a much darker atmosphere that Wolf Man couldn’t, for example.
Silver Bullet is available to stream on Apple TV+.
Needful Things
Needful Things was another adaptation that made some pretty big changes that didn’t sit well with fans. The 1993 movie tells the story of Leland Gaunt, a mysterious antique store owner who opens up a shop in Castle Rock, Maine. He gives the locals items that fulfill their deepest desires, but the price isn’t money – he asks for favors that end up turning into barter. But as the townspeople start paying their debts, Gaunt manipulates them into turning on each other, kicking off a violent and chaotic chain of events. Sheriff Alan Pangborn tries to figure out what’s going on and stop it.
Overall, it’s a movie with a cool concept, but it just hasn’t aged well and seems to have been forgotten. And compared to the book, the criticisms are just as harsh. The movie doesn’t focus as much on the relationships between characters – something King usually does really well. So, what we get is a shallower, simpler plot with less interesting depth to dig into. No surprise it has a low Rotten Tomatoes score of 33%. A reboot could totally fix that and bring a solid thriller into today’s world. A TV series would work really well for this too.
Needful Things is available to stream on Apple TV+.
What Stephen King projects do you think deserve reboots? Let us know in the comments below!
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