We’re Excited to See 8 Upcoming Stephen King Adaptations

In the nearly 50 years since then Carrie Hollywood is still not tired of making the first hit in cinemas Stephen King adaptationsin large part because audiences are still very keen to watch them. It’s a good thing the author is as prolific as ever after five decades of bestsellers — though, as this list of our eight most anticipated upcoming King projects proves, so is Hollywood. Re-adapting the royal talesbetter and sometimes worse.

Note: this is not an exhaustive list all of them Royal adaptations in works; rather, these are the titles we’re most excited about, as well as titles that have a release date, are currently in production (or in the pipeline), or have recent enough updates to indicate that they’re indeed coming. to pass

Monkey

Osgood Perkins has a lot of eyeballs on him after last year’s blockbuster success Long-legged onesand this adaptation of the King short story (first published in 1980, but most people know it from the 1985 collection. Skeleton Crew) seems similarly daring. Yes, it’s a haunted toy, but its teaser poster also had the following promise as its tagline: “Everybody dies. And that’s nonsense.” James Wan (Wizard, saw, crafty) produces, adds honest thoughts to this horror. Monkey February 21 in theaters.

The Running Man

When the world learns a new adaptation The Running Man was coming, only one thing mattered: would it be released in 2025, the year the story takes place, in the unlikely, far-off year? Unless sabotage occurs between now and November, the answer is yesand if we weren’t fans of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1987 tale The King (written as Richard Bachman), we’d be very excited for this new version.

Directed and written by Edgar Wright, he said it was closer to the novel than Schwarzenegger’s film. The cast is led by Glen Powell, an almost ridiculously good ensemble cast filled with Katy O’Brian, Josh Brolin, Lee Pace, Jayme Lawson, Emilia Jones, Michael Cera, William H. Macy, as well as anyone joining the killer game show. , and others. The Running Man It will be in theaters on November 7.

Long Walk

Director Francis Lawrence has been busy shooting lately The Hunger Games prequels, but it’s also linked to a different Richard Bachman thriller — an adaptation of King’s 1979 novel about a group of teenage boys who go on a death march organized to end with a winner. The Running Man, Squid Gameand, well, The Hunger Games). News of Lawrence joining the Lionsgate project broke in November 2023, months before Suzanne Collins’ next announcement. The Hunger Games book Sunrise at harvest time (coming in March 2025), and Lionsgate has said it will helm a big-screen version with a target release date of 2026.

So we can wait a little longer Long Walk If Lawrence plans to add anything else The Hunger Games scroll through his autobiography — or if he decides he’s faced with dark dystopias and hands the reins over to someone else. Anyway, it’s very much in the wings.

This: Welcome to Derry

Unlike other entries on this list, This: Welcome to Derry Not a traditional adaptation of King’s work. Like the recent, great Hulu series Castle Rockit not only expands the universe that King created at the door of a 1986 novel, but also the cinematic world of Andy Muschietti’s last couple. This movies. Muschietti will direct five of the nine episodes, so his vision will be huge, and the cast includes Taylor Paige, Jovan Adepo, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, Rudy Mancuso and Pennywise himself, Bill Skarsgård. There is no exact release date yet, but it has been confirmed to hit HBO in 2025.

A fairy tale

A rare fantasy story from the master of horror, A fairy tale was originally slated to be a feature film, but we learned in October that King’s 2022 blockbuster would be replaced 10 episode series. There are some big names attached: studio A24, director Paul Greengrass (who comes from a cinematic background) and showrunner JH Wyman (Fringe, Almost Human). It’s about a teenager who befriends an elderly neighbor who then dies, leaving the child with instructions on how to enter a portal to another world.

There’s no streaming service or outlet for this yet, but with this latest update and the talent behind it, including the recent and popular King release, you have to assume it’s going to be in full swing. soon.

Chuck’s life and Carrie

Series Stephen King adapter Mike Flanagan returns, first year Chuck’s life. This is a fairy tale starring Tom Hiddleston no horror story — based on the 2020 King novella and has sci-fi elements, but is described as more in the vein of the story. The Shawshank Redemption or Stand by me (or perhaps more optimistic than they are; TIFF reviews called it “life-affirming” and “joyous”). It will be shown in cinemas on May 30.

Flanagan’s other active King project (apparently no Dark castle Unfortunately) consists of eight episodes that are often adapted Carriewhich will see it switch the much-lauded horror series format from Netflix (The Haunting of Hill House, The Fall of Usher House) to its new home on Prime Video. No release date yet, but rumors have dropped On the eve of Halloween 2024so it comes.

Institute

If you’re starring Ben Barnes and Mary-Louise Parker in anything, we’re already interested, especially if Parker is playing a villain. So our radar is fully tracking this eight-episode series based on King’s 2019 novel about a mysterious entity that harbors kidnapped children with psychic and telekinetic powers. It’s coming from MGM+ — a streaming service that’s admittedly not on everyone’s radar — but in December Diversity With King himself on board as an executive producer, that bodes well. The trade also gave a first look at the young cast, aged from the book (they’re teenagers instead of midgets) and directed by Joe Freeman, son of Joe Freeman. Sherlock and Marvel actor Martin Freeman. No release date yet, though Institute should be launched this year.

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