Get ready,Stephen Kingfans. Over the past few years, the influx in content being produced solely for streaming services has made it easier for authors and creators alike to see their work come to life - and no author has ever been as prolific in seeing their work adapted for the screen as theKing of Horrorhimself.
Since King published his first novelCarriein 1974, there have been close to 100 feature film and television adaptations of his many novels, short stories, and novellas - and if the success of recent films and series such asIt,It: Chapter Two, Pet Sematary,Castle Rock, andThe Outsiderhas taught us anything - it’s that there is a definite demand for them.
While there are dozens of Stephen King adaptations currently in development, here is what we know about a handful of them - some of which are remakes of films audiences are familiar with, and some of which are completely untapped material - but all of which are based upon the work ofone of the greatest horrorwriters of the last 50 years.
Update July 19, 2025: This article has been updated with even more information about upcoming planned Stephen King adaptations, including new details about the long-delayedSalem’s Lotremake.
8Christine- Movie
Christinewas previously adapted into a feature film back in 1983 by director John Carpenter. The premise is simple: a car becomes possessed by supernatural forces. That easy-to-pitch premise is a great starting point for a horror film, so it is no wonder that in 2021, Sony Pictures and Blumhouse Productions announced they were developing a new adaptation of King’s story. Bryan Fuller, best known for his work on series likeDead Like Me, Pushing DaisiesandHannibal, was announced to be writing and directing the project.
Related:10 Performances in Stephen King Movies That Are Massively Underrated
Yet since then,no progress has been made onChristine. No release date or cast has been announced, and currently, Fuller is occupied developingCrystal Lake, a television series prequel toFriday the 13th, from A24 for Peacock. While King adaptations in the early 2000s seemed like the hot commodity after the box office smash hit of It Chapter One and It Chapter 2, since then, studios might be less willing to rush out an adaptation and are more comfortable waiting on it.
7The Dark Half- Movie
Over the years, many acclaimed and cult-horror directors have adapted the various novels of Stephen King.Stanley Kubrick directedThe Shining, John CarpenterChristine, and David CronenbergThe Dead Zone. In 1993, George A. Romero, the director ofNight of the Living Dead,Dawn of the Dead, andCreepshow, took a stab at adapting King’s 1989 novelThe Dark Half.However, the film never lived up to the status of Romero’s other works.
In 2019, it was announced that MGM, with director Alex Ross Perry, would handle a contemporary adaptation of King’s novel. The story follows successful author Thad Beaumont, who has written under the pseudonym George Stark for a number of years. When Thad decides to kill off his alter ego, Stark takes on a life of his own and embarks on a vengeful murder spree. Alex Ross Perry is also set to helm the upcoming feature filmRest Stop, based on King’s short story of the same name.
6Welcome to Derry - Series
Hot off the heels of the massive success ofItand the 2019 sequel, the highly-anticipated Max prequel seriesWelcome to Derrywill expand on the events and story of the Stephen King classic novel while also introducing new characters to the spine-tingling universe.Ithas gone on to become one of the renowned author’s most buzzed-about and acclaimed novels, centering on a group of childhood friends who are terrorized by the nefarious titular entity that preys upon their fears in the town of Derry, Maine.
The series seems to have taken the place ofThe Overlook, a prequel series toThe Shinningthat was being developed for Max by J.J. Abrams that never materialized. In March of 2022, news quickly spread thatItfilm director Andy Muschietti was teaming up with his sister Barbara Muschietti and Jason Fuchs to develop and executive produce the prequelWelcome to Derry, which will take place in 1960s Derry prior to the events ofItand will serve as an origin story for theterrifying Pennywise the Clown.Max released a teaser clip for the upcoming series that features the ominous red balloon and shots of the plagued town in their reel for what to watch in 2024.Welcome to Derrywas supposed to premiere on Halloween 2024 but was recently pushed back to 2025 due to the writers' and actors' strikes.
5From a Buick 8- Movie
A feature film adaptation of King’s novel about a 1953 Buick Roadmaster that serves as a gateway to another dimension has been in talks since 2005, when it was announced thatGeorge A. Romerowould return to helm the film. In 2007, Tobe Hooper, best known for directing horror classicsThe Texas Chain Saw MassacreandPoltergeist, replaced Romero. However, the project hit roadblock after roadblock and never managed to obtain financing.
A big screen adaptation ofFrom a Buick 8is reportedly still in development, this time from director Jim Mickle, with Thomas Jane poised to star. Jane has already appeared in multiple adaptations of King’s work includingThe MistandDreamcatcher, so the actor’s involvement should not come as a surprise to fans. However, the project still appears to be at a standstill, as no new news has surfaced since August 2020. Will moviegoers ever get to see the vintage Roadmaster wreak havoc on Western Pennsylvania?
4The Talisman- Series
The Talismanis a novel written by Stephen King and Peter Straub in 1984. It is about a twelve-year-old boy named Jack Sawyer who ventures to a strange world inhabited by werewolves and gunslingers in order to save his dying mother. In 2001, King and Straub published a sequel toThe TalismanentitledBlack House. Now, a third novel is said to be on its way, concluding the decades-spanning trilogy.
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The Talismanis one King novel that fans have wanted to see adapted for some time. With a rich fantasy world to explore, and two (soon to be three) novels worth of material,The Talismanis a piece of literature that begs to be seen on screen. Well, after years of speculating, it’s finally happening. Recently, it was announced thatThe Talismanwill be adapted as a Netflix original series, with Amblin Partners andStranger ThingscreatorsThe Duffer Brothers developing.Stranger Thingsproducer Curtis Gwinn will serve as showrunner.
3The Monkey- Movie
Stephen King’s short story"The Monkey"was first published in 1980 in Gallery magazine and later in hisSkeleton Crewcollection, and centers on a cursed cymbal-banging toy monkey that plagues twin brothers Hal and Bill and their family, leaving death and destruction in its wake. After Hal’s children discover the evil item, the now-adult Hal must find a way to keep his loved ones safe from the wretched toy before the monkey can claim another person’s life.
In May 2023,The White Lotusstar Theo James was announced to star in the big screen adaptation and will likely take on dual roles as twin brothers Hal and Bill, with the plot of the film deviating slightly from the plot of the short story. Oz Perkins is set to direct and write the screenplay while James Wan (creator ofThe Conjuringuniverse) is attached to produce the intriguing picture through his Atomic Monster production company. Wanexpressed in a statement:
“Stephen King is the godfather of the horror genre. He had a huge influence on me as a child and throughout my career and it’s always been a dream to help bring one of his stories to life.The Monkeyis a personal favorite, with its simple, iconic, and incredibly marketable conceit. And I can’t imagine anyone better than a visionary and lifelong genre fan like Osgood to bring this to life.”
2Salem’s Lot- Movie
Salem’s Lotis the second novel ever to be published by Stephen King. Hitting shelves in 1975,Salem’s Lotwould later go on to be adapted in 1979 into a two-part TV miniseries directed by Tobe Hooper. The story follows Ben Mears, who returns to the sleepy town of Jerusalem’s Lot after several years, only to discover that the residents are being turned into vampires. Although Hooper’s series was a slight departure from the original source material, it still received plenty of acclaim, and King’s novel remains a highly regarded work of supernatural horror.
In 2019, New Line Cinema confirmed that they would develop a new feature filmadaptation ofSalem’s Lot, withAnnabelle Comes Homedirector Gary Dauberman. Dauberman previously co-wrote bothIt, andIt: Chapter Two, and is a frequent collaborator with James Wan, creator ofThe Conjuringfilm series. Wan will serve as a producer on Dauberman’sSalem’s Lotremake.Lessons in Chemistrystar Lewis Pullman will portray Ben Mears in the film, and King himself haswatched the finished productand praised it.
However, the film has had a difficult road to theaters. The movie was originally set to hit theaters on June 14, 2025, to take advantage of the post-Labor Day weekend, which tends to do well for horror movies. It was then moved to August 12, 2025, before Warner Bros. decided to give that release date toEvil Dead Rise. During the SAG-AFTRA and WGA Strike, it was reported that Warner Bros. Discovery was considering releasing the film on Maxin a way to provide something new for the streaming service but never did.
Rumors have now circulated that Warner Bros. Discovery has scrapedSalem’s Lotentirely and will try to write it off on their taxes the same way they didBatgirlandScoob! Holiday Haunt. With a rather bare 2024 release schedule, the studio might be wise to release the film in theaters to give both cinemas and them a chance at a potential Halloween boost.
1The Long Walk- Movie
Set in a dystopian alternate world, Stephen King’s (under his pseudonym Richard Bachman) 1979 novelThe Long Walkfeatures a desolate America ruled by a frightening totalitarian force and chronicles a grueling and downright deadly walking contest in which 100 teenage boys must continue moving at least four miles an hour, or else they will be brutally shot dead by soldiers.The Long Walkwas the first novel written by King, who wrote back in college during his freshman year in 1966 and 1967.
George A. Romero was initially approached to direct a big-screen adaptation back in 1988, but the project never came to fruition, and in 2018, it was revealed that New Line Cinema was developing its own version of the novel. Francis Lawrence (Constantine, I Am Legend) signed on as director forThe Long Walkin November 2023 after André Øvredal left the project, and he should have no problem bringing the dystopian novel to life as he also helmed four of the fiveThe Hunger Gamesfilm installments.
