Author Stephen King’s prodigious body of published works has spawned many a film or television show adaptation. King’s works have especially fueled Hollywood and the box office this year alone with three films and a TV show all inspired by books he wrote arriving in 2025.
The Long Walk, directed by Francis Lawrence, brought a dystopian story to the big screen in September starring Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson. Tom Hiddleston starred in The Life of Chuck, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024 ahead of its arrival in theaters early this summer. HBO Max’s IT: Welcome to Derry is also based on King’s novel IT, drawing from the book’s interludes to make a prequel to the two films.
RELATED: Glen Powell Reveals He Had To Be Approved For ‘The Running Man’ Role By Stephen King
Find an extensive list of adaptations — which will be updated as more arrive — of Stephen King’s works below:
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‘IT’ Films & ‘Welcome to Derry’ prequel – HBO Max
Image Credit: HBO Max King’s clown horror novel IT sparked a two-part film adaptation starring Bill Skarsgård in the role of Pennywise the Clown. In the first film, which came out in 2017, Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) played Richie Tozier, Jaeden Martell played Bill Denbrough, Jack Dylan Grazer played Eddie Kaspbrak and more.
In IT: Chapter Two (2019), Bill Hader portrayed Richie Tozier, and James McAvoy portrayed Bill Denbrough. James Ransone played Eddie Kaspbrak, and Jessica Chastain appeared as Beverly Marsh. King even had a cameo as a shopkeeper in the second film.
IT: Welcome to Derry premieres on HBO Max October 26.
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‘The Long Walk’– For Rent Or Purchase On Fandango At Home
Image Credit: Murray Close/Lionsgate Helmed by Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence, King’s The Long Walk added to the canon of dystopian book adaptations that reflect aspects of society and critique customs. The film arrived in theaters Sept. 12, and the cast includes Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Mark Hamill, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Tut Nyuot, Garrett Wareing and many more as the young boys who voluntarily sign up for the gruesome titular tradition that leaves just one survivor as the winner. The film’s ending was changed from that of the book.
RELATED: ‘The Long Walk’ Cast And Character Guide: Meet The Contestants
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‘The Running Man’ (1987) – Netflix & Paramount and (2025) Coming To Theaters
Image Credit: Everett In the 1987 film adaptation of The Running Man directed by Paul Michael Glaser, Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Ben Richards, a wrongfully accused and convicted policeman who gets forced to participate in a TV game show to battle killers for his freedom. Maria Conchita Alonso also starred as Amber Mendez, Yaphet Kotto appeared as Laughlin, Jim Brown played Fireball, Jesse Ventura appeared as Captain Freedom and Erland van Lidth played Dynamo. Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac also appeared in the 1987 version.
RELATED: ‘The Running Man’ Trailer: Glen Powell Leads Edgar Wright’s Latest
Glen Powell will portray Ben Richards in Edgar Wright’s take on The Running Man, which arrives in theaters this November and also stars Emilia Jones, Lee Pace, Katy O’Brian, Josh Brolan, Colman Domingo, William H. Macy, Michael Cera and more. Wright’s film lands in theaters Nov. 7.
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‘Salem’s Lot’ (2024) – HBO Max
Image Credit: Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection Lewis Pullman led the 2024 film adaptation of Salem’s Lot now streaming on HBO Max. The film also starred Makenzie Leigh, Spencer Treat Clark, Pilou Asbæk and Nicholas Crovetti. There was also a television series adaptation in 1979 as well as a 2004 TV show version starring Rob Lowe as Ben Mears and Donald Sutherland as Richard Straker with Andre Brauer as Matt Burke among many more.
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‘The Shining’ (1980) – HBO Max, AMC+
Image Credit: Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection Jack Nicholson and the late Shelley Duvall star in The Shining (1980), directed by Stanley Kubrick. When a family heads to a hotel far removed from society in the winter, a mysterious spirit influences the father (Nicholson) to get violent. His psychic son (Danny Lloyd) also has premonitions of the future and past as the mother tries to escape in the snow. Find iconic horror moments from the Red Room to the twins on HBO Max.
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‘Carrie’(1976) & (2013) – FUBO, MGM+ and AMC+
Image Credit: Everett Sissy Spacek first portrayed Carrie White, a keeps-to-herself teenage girl whose religious and helicopter mother (Piper Laurie) monitors her every move. At her senior prom dance, Carrie uses her telekinetic powers after being embarrassed by her classmates. Brian De Palma directed the 1976 version of Carrie.
Kimberly Price directed the 2013 adaptation starring Chloë Grace Moretz as the titular girl and Julianne Moore as her mother, Margaret White.
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