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mae
07-17-2013, 06:21 AM
I think there was a similar article some months or years back, but what the heck:

http://whatculture.com/film/8-stephen-king-novels-that-should-be-movies-and-why-they-never-will-be.php

Stephen King is arguably the greatest storyteller of his generation, a modern day Charles Dickens, and writer of over fifty novels. Although King is often slated to be a “popular novelist” (said like it’s a bad thing), he is also considered by many to be one of the best American writers, an author who continually proves himself capable of merging the ordinary with the unknown – finding fear and (sometimes) hope in the most unlikely of places. The fact that King chooses to write about killer clowns and rabid dogs has earned him a fair few detractors, though.

To those people, I say: have you ever read one of Stephen King’s books? I don’t see how anybody could read Misery and come out saying that it’s not both a brilliantly terrifying horror yarn and also a whole lot more: a meditation on creativity, a novel about the plight of the author, and a brilliant deconstruction of the “fan.” Because King doesn’t just write trash – his stories are far deeper and more intelligent than what they may seem on the surface. Which is, why, I suppose, so many of them have been made into such wonderful, memorable movies.

And although King must be well on his way to becoming the most adapted author in history, there are some great works that still haven’t been giving the chance to become Shawshank Redemptions or Stand By Mes, although they’re more than up to the task. To celebrate those novels and novellas that are yet to find themselves on the big screen, here are 10 Stephen King stories that I believe to be ripe for cinematic adaptation. As much as I’d love to see them all adapted into movies, though, the odds of it ever happening are seriously, seriously low…

8. Gerald’s Game (1992)

Why It Should Be A Movie…

Gerald’s Game appears to be a rather bizarre Stephen King effort at first glance, because the plot is mostly based around the idea of a sex game gone wrong, and the main character is handcuffed to a bed for most of the story, nearly all of which she spends hallucinating. Oh, did I tell you that she’s also naked? Yes, after her husband accidently dies during a sex game, Jessie Burlingame is left tied to a bed in the middle of nowhere. Pretensions aside, though, Gerald’s Game could make a taut thriller, made up of flashbacks, hallucinations and a gripping escape story, akin to other one room-premise successes like the recent Buried, which starred Ryan Reynolds.

Why It Never Will Be…

Core idea aside, which could prove a little too much for general audiences (and even King fans, perhaps), this is probably one of the author’s lesser novels, but I do think it would work well as a motion picture. Thing is, there’s no real reason to make into one, and releasing a movie called Gerald’s Game in this day and age probably will probably provoke frowns. Really, though, the fact that this book isn’t considered to be one of King’s best, coupled with the fact that most of it takes place in one room, means it’s on the back-burner. Made cheaply with skill, it could be a little gem, but there’s a still problem inherent to the marketing – who do you sell this movie to?

7. 11/22/63 (2011)

Why It Should Be Made Into A Movie…

Every time I hear the plot synopsis for a King novel summed up in a sentence, I always end up frowning and occasionally cringing, too: “Really? That’s what he’s writing about?” But that’s because it’s all too easy to forget how King frequently takes a one-note concept (“dog has rabies”) and uses it to transcend the subject matter entirely, to the point where it seems like an insult to sum up his stories in sentences that don’t relay more info.

That’s the case with 11/22/63, which has come to be described as “man goes back in time through a magic door to prevent the JFK assassination” It’s kind of goofy-sounding on the surface, but this is a great, gripping book, and one that really deserves to be glimpsed on the big screen at some point, if not only because the idea is so damn intriguing, but because King manages to craft a wholly original and twisty plot out of an everyday fantasy.

Why It Never Will Be…

Of all the entries on this list, 11/22/63 probably has the best chance of getting a big screen adaptation – but when you consider the budget that one would have to find into order to do a period movie of this sort, it becomes pretty clear as to how difficult it’d actually be (in this day and age, anyway).

Recent creative differences just put an end to a potential Jonathan Demme-directed version – King and Demme didn’t see eye to eye, and it was cancelled as a result. Although I think we’ll hear about future adaptations, I can’t see a studio committing to one during this extended season of blockbusters, sequels and remakes. Who wants to see a movie about JFK, right?

6. Rage (1977)

Why It Should Be A Movie….

Perhaps the most controversial work in Stephen King’s canon, written when he was just 19-years-old and later published under the name Richard Bachman, Rage tells the story of Charlie Decker, a high school student who goes into class one day, shoots his teacher at point blank range, and takes his class captive, forcing them into a twisted game of show and tell where they must all admit their true feelings for one another. It’s a real page-turner, dramatic, dark, sad and strange all at once, and it would make for a relevant and taut thriller, given it was adapted with respect.

Why It Never Will Be…

Well, that’s it, isn’t it? School shooting. It’s a movie that potentially glamourises student killing sprees, made worse by the fact that a copy of Rage was once found in the locker of a kid who committed a real-life high school shooting. The fact that King asked for this book to fall out of publication also pretty much guarantees that this one will never see the light of day on the big screen, though – considering how candid and truthful and even painful the story is – I do consider that to be a shame. Rage is controversial, but it’s also an intelligent book that deals with the idea of a disillusioned youth, disturbed and twisted by the absurdities of life and growing up.

5. Insomnia (1995)

Why It Should Be A Movie…

Insomnia tells the story of Ralph Roberts, who, having lost his wife in a terrible accident, finds himself having trouble sleeping, only to discover that he’s starting so see some seriously weird things, like ribbons attached to people’s heads, and little bald men in lab coats. The idea of somebody experiencing insomnia and seeing crazy stuff might feel like an idea you’ve heard a dozen times before, but trust me when I say that this is one of King’s most underrated novels, and totally deserving of a ballsy, cerebral David Lynch-esque movie adaptation.

Why It Never Will Be…

As far as Stephen King adaptations go, Insomnia is backed up there in the realms of obscurity, and even amongst fans of the author, this one divides the line. That’s to say, there’s not a major hollering for this to get the big screen treatment anyway, but the fact that the story is so strange and less accessible from a marketing point of view ensures that we probably won’t see this one in theatres anytime soon (if ever). It certainly doesn’t help that the director of Wrong Turn tried to get this made in 2007, and the project has fallen through since, even with King’s blessing.

4. Joyland (2013)

Why It Should Be A Movie….

King’s most recent novel is more Adventureland than Carnival of Tortured Nightmares, which might have surprised those who picked it up expecting a full-on gorefest, as hinted at by the tagline printed on the cover of the book: “Who dares enter the funhouse of fear?” But Joyland, which chronicles a young man’s summer job at a theme park as he confronts the legacy of a murder, is also concerned with themes of what it means to be young, how our experiences shape us, and what happens when we get older. It’s a surprisingly sad and poignant novel, and it would no doubt make a great movie with a few cues from Adventureland. Just with more blood.

Why It Never Will Be…

Joyland is a mature work, no doubt, but it occasionally feels as though King is implementing the “dangerous murderer” storyline because he has to, and – although it ultimately works in novel form – it could clash awkwardly in a big screen adaptation, with the movie potentially failing to live up to all the aspects that make it great. Plot notions aside, this is set in the ’70s and in an amusement park. It’d be a movie way out of sync with the audiences of today, and although I think a truly great flick could be made from Joyland, it ain’t gonna happen.

3. Under The Dome (2009)

Why It Should Be A Movie…

Under The Dome is typical King in its set-up: an ordinary town come up against a mysterious force and have no choice it face up against it. In this case, we find out what happens when a huge, invisible dome cuts of the town of Chester’s Mill. It doesn’t matter why it happens, simply that it does, because King uses this idea to explore America as a microcosm of itself. Though the book is certainly long, it would make for a great, high-concept ensemble thriller, one that the likes of M. Night Shyamalan might’ve helmed with success once upon a time…

Why It Never Will Be…

It’s currently airing as a TV series over an CBS, and although the show is pretty good, the storyline will inevitably find itself stretched out beyond all recognition, to the point where it no longer resembles the words written in King’s book. Though that’s fine, the fact that we have this TV series means that we probably won’t ever get a movie adaptation. And one of the best things about the original novel was that the dome only covers Chester’s Mill for a week – the point was in how quality things can escalate when humans are cut off from the world.

2. The Long Walk (1979)

Why It Should Be A Movie…

The Long Walk was one of the first novels to tap into the terrifying game show sensibilities that would later inspire works like Battle Royale, The Hunger Games, and King’s own The Running Man. Of all those novels, I think that this one remains the best – dark, haunting and relentlessly paced, it follows a group of boys who enters a walking competition in the near future. If they stop, they’re shot. The last boy wins whatever he wants for the rest of his life. Filled with a great ensembles and cling to a concept that remains as relevant today as it was when King wrote first wrote it, there’s potential here for a low-budget arty endeavour or a costly blockbuster.

Why It Never Will Be…

Because it’s a book that, almost invariably, consists of characters walking – once they get started, they don’t stop at all. Ever. Although that could certainly work on the big screen if handled right (take a look at a movie like Buried, for example, which has a character trapped in box for runtime), I don’t know that anyone would be willing to take the risk of trying to get into bed with a movie that never stops to breathe. Frank Darabont has had the rights to this one for 7 years, but has yet to make progress, presumably stumped as to how to make it work.

1. The Dark Tower (1982-2012)

Why It Should Be A Movie…

What is often considered to be King’s magnus opus, a gargantuan work, decades in the writing, is arguably his best and most accomplished venture, and one that perhaps best emphasises the author working at the peak of his creative powers, combining elements, characters, stories, ideas and concepts from a whole host of his other novels, and making it work as a sprawling narrative in its own right.

Simply put, this is Stephen King’s most Stephen King-like endeavour, an epic fantasy series that merges his influences and plays tribute to the idea of us, his Constant Readers. It’s a series written entirely for King fans. The plot, which sounds simple at first, concerns a gunslinger whose destiny is to catch a mysterious man in black. But King uses this as starting-off point for a winding epic that unfolds dramatically over eight great books.

Why It Never Will Be…

It’s far too big. It’s too big and too inherently risky for any major studio to undertake as a project, made especially true by the fact that this is arguably only accessible in its truest form to hardcore King fans, and because it doesn’t have a young adult appeal in the same way that Harry Potter and The Hunger Games do.

Fact is, to do this properly, in the way we all want it to be done, we’re potentially talking billions and billions of dollars. There’s no point making it to TV movie standard, after all. Recently, back in May 2013, it came closer than ever to being realised by Warner Bros., who passed on at the last minute. The risk, it seems, is too high.

barlow
07-17-2013, 09:42 AM
Great thread Pablo! I believe Frank Darabont has plans for The Long Walk, when and if he will get around to it is unknown. I think the best format for The Dark Tower is as a cable series treated the right way like HBO has done with A Game Of Thrones. The producers idea of splitting it up between tv series and theatrical films while conceptually interesting is insane, and i would think a hindrance to selling the project. I agree that both Gerald's Game and Rage could both be adapted into really good films, that said the subject matter would defiantly make them nightmares to get made and they would have no real chance at being profitable!


Ken

Iwritecode
07-17-2013, 10:49 AM
I disagree with his weak reasoning behind why 11/22/63 will never become a movie. Didn't we just have a movie about Lincoln that won a bunch of awards? I think if done properly, it would work really well.

I've been hoping for The Long Walk to be adapted for years. I always thought they would have to change it to adults walking rather than kids but with the success of the Hunger Games, I think it might have a chance.

Brice
07-17-2013, 11:13 AM
Actually it'd be considered to be ripping off the hunger games. shudders* :lol:

CyberGhostface
07-17-2013, 11:19 AM
Joyland's inclusion is funny since a movie was being planned even before the book was released. :biggrin:

fearless-freak
07-17-2013, 11:22 AM
Actually it'd be considered to be ripping off the hunger games. shudders* :lol:

HG already ripped of Battle Royale

Iwritecode
07-17-2013, 11:29 AM
Actually it'd be considered to be ripping off the hunger games. shudders* :lol:

I always thought The Hunger Games was a combination of The Running Man, The Long Walk and Under the Dome.

Bryant Burnette
07-17-2013, 11:52 AM
I may be the only person in the entire world who thinks a great movie could be made from Roadwork. But I do!

fearless-freak
07-17-2013, 11:57 AM
The Talisman

Merlin1958
07-17-2013, 01:37 PM
I disagree with his weak reasoning behind why 11/22/63 will never become a movie. Didn't we just have a movie about Lincoln that won a bunch of awards? I think if done properly, it would work really well.

I've been hoping for The Long Walk to be adapted for years. I always thought they would have to change it to adults walking rather than kids but with the success of the Hunger Games, I think it might have a chance.

I agree with you. 11/22/63 screams major motion picture IMHO


The Talisman

Seems that this venture was somehow cursed, but it would be a great film IMHO

Bryant Burnette
07-17-2013, 01:50 PM
Seems that this venture was somehow cursed, but it would be a great film IMHO

Given how big a ratings success Under the Dome has been so far, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if The Talisman gets talked about again soon. It's one of my least-favorite King novels of all, though, so if it never happens, that'd be okay by me.

Merlin1958
07-17-2013, 01:57 PM
Seems that this venture was somehow cursed, but it would be a great film IMHO

Given how big a ratings success Under the Dome has been so far, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if The Talisman gets talked about again soon. It's one of my least-favorite King novels of all, though, so if it never happens, that'd be okay by me.

Really? You disliked it that much? Why, may I ask? It's up there in my list pretty high, not my most favorite, but within range.

The sequel "Black House" is in my top five.

Bryant Burnette
07-17-2013, 02:06 PM
I loved it when I first read it as a teenager, but when I reread it a few years ago, I didn't like it much at all. It just bored me, or (in some places) annoyed me. Lots of good ideas, but it just doesn't add up to much of anything. Not for me.

I do remember liking Black House more, though.

Merlin1958
07-17-2013, 02:10 PM
I loved it when I first read it as a teenager, but when I reread it a few years ago, I didn't like it much at all. It just bored me, or (in some places) annoyed me. Lots of good ideas, but it just doesn't add up to much of anything. Not for me.

I do remember liking Black House more, though.

Glad you enjoyed Black House. As I said, The Talisman is not my most favorite, but no where near the worst for me. That category is reserved for "Lisey's Story"!! LOL LOL

pathoftheturtle
07-17-2013, 02:17 PM
...The producers idea of splitting it up between tv series and theatrical films while conceptually interesting is insane...


KenConceptually interesting, yet insane. Sounds like TDT to me.

Ben Mears
07-17-2013, 03:55 PM
Blaze

CyberGhostface
07-17-2013, 04:04 PM
Also I'm not really sure how fair it is to list something that's already being adapted like Under the Dome, because that doesn't really count as "never" even if technically it's not a theatrical film.

Honestly at this point the only King work I don't think see being adapted is Rage for the obvious reasons, also because King would probably veto it if it was proposed.

BROWNINGS CHILDE
07-17-2013, 04:51 PM
I would like to see a Creepshow style movie with some hand picked short stories.
Survivor Type
Suffer the Little Children
Gramma
Lunch at the Gotham Cafe
The Man in the Black Suit
Willa

The possibilities are endless.

RUBE
07-17-2013, 08:12 PM
Can someone answer this for me? I will temper this by saying that I have not had the chance to read Rage but I want to know why everyone (including King) is so against the idea of Rage as a movie or even being in print when Carrie is basically the same concept with supernatural instead of gun violence. To me it is ridiculous that the addition of a gun makes it so much worse. Carrie has far more kids getting killed and it is getting a remake. If Rage was handled right it could be a evaluation of the elements in our society that influence kids to turn on other kids in such a violent matter. Maybe someone that has read it can enlighten me.

Bryant Burnette
07-18-2013, 01:15 AM
Can someone answer this for me? I will temper this by saying that I have not had the chance to read Rage but I want to know why everyone (including King) is so against the idea of Rage as a movie or even being in print when Carrie is basically the same concept with supernatural instead of gun violence. To me it is ridiculous that the addition of a gun makes it so much worse. Carrie has far more kids getting killed and it is getting a remake. If Rage was handled right it could be a evaluation of the elements in our society that influence kids to turn on other kids in such a violent matter. Maybe someone that has read it can enlighten me.

Well, for one thing, it's just not a very good novel. Apart from that, it would be an enormously controversial movie, thanks to the novel's history; I doubt King would ever even consider allowing it to be filmed.

Maybe decades from now, when he's dead and our society has theoretically gotten its shit together. We'll all be dead by then, though, so it's a moot issue as far as I'm concerned.

Bryant Burnette
07-18-2013, 01:17 AM
Glad you enjoyed Black House. As I said, The Talisman is not my most favorite, but no where near the worst for me. That category is reserved for "Lisey's Story"!! LOL LOL

Yeah, that one is right at the bottom for me, too; that, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and maybe Rose Madder. But Lisey's Story annoyed me, whereas the other two just bored me; so it probably is my least favorite of all.

But even it has good scenes here and there.

CyberGhostface
07-18-2013, 05:04 AM
Can someone answer this for me? I will temper this by saying that I have not had the chance to read Rage but I want to know why everyone (including King) is so against the idea of Rage as a movie or even being in print when Carrie is basically the same concept with supernatural instead of gun violence. To me it is ridiculous that the addition of a gun makes it so much worse. Carrie has far more kids getting killed and it is getting a remake. If Rage was handled right it could be a evaluation of the elements in our society that influence kids to turn on other kids in such a violent matter. Maybe someone that has read it can enlighten me.

I know King requested it to be pulled out of print after it was discovered that a couple of school shooters had read it or had copies in their lockers. He discusses it in his 'Guns' essay.

My two cents is that the realism factor -- a kid taking a gun and holding his class hostage -- is more easy for a disturbed teen to emulate than what Carrie does.

I personally don't agree with it being OOP, though...

mattgreenbean
07-18-2013, 05:26 AM
From the makers of Insidious, The Regulators. They could make that neighborhood creepy as hell.

Iwritecode
07-18-2013, 06:20 AM
I loved it when I first read it as a teenager, but when I reread it a few years ago, I didn't like it much at all. It just bored me, or (in some places) annoyed me. Lots of good ideas, but it just doesn't add up to much of anything. Not for me.

I do remember liking Black House more, though.

Glad you enjoyed Black House. As I said, The Talisman is not my most favorite, but no where near the worst for me. That category is reserved for "Lisey's Story"!! LOL LOL

The Talisman was always middle of the road for me as well. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. To me it was a bit too stretched out. It seemed to me like there were a lot of dull spots in the book. I've read it at least twice but for some reason I always have trouble remembering what happens in the last few chapters. I remember bits and pieces of it but it just never sticks in my mind.

As far as making a film of it, it might work but I don't know how well. It's basically a kid trying to walk across the entire country and back. It would be interesting to see how they visualize the Territories.

Iwritecode
07-18-2013, 06:23 AM
I would like to see a Creepshow style movie with some hand picked short stories.
Survivor Type
Suffer the Little Children
Gramma
Lunch at the Gotham Cafe
The Man in the Black Suit
Willa

The possibilities are endless.

They did something like this in 2006 on TNT. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightmares_%26_Dreamscapes_%28TV_Series%29)

WeDealInLead
07-18-2013, 06:34 AM
YOU can find Gramma for free somewhere on the TUBE in front you. It was an episode of The Twilight Zone.

I'd love to see The Long Walk as an indie/low budget film in black and white or maybe through a gray filter.

fearless-freak
07-18-2013, 07:03 AM
even though they're on about doing a mini series of this one, The Eye's of The Dragon

Iwritecode
07-18-2013, 11:36 AM
even though they're on about doing a mini series of this one, The Eye's of The Dragon

That would be interesting if they could animate it like they did originally with The Hobbit.

Jean
07-18-2013, 11:48 AM
I'd love to see The Long Walk as an indie/low budget film in black and white or maybe through a gray filter.
Yes. Roadwork, too.

fearless-freak
07-18-2013, 11:50 AM
even though they're on about doing a mini series of this one, The Eye's of The Dragon

That would be interesting if they could animate it like they did originally with The Hobbit.

intresting idea

Merlin1958
07-18-2013, 05:02 PM
even though they're on about doing a mini series of this one, The Eye's of The Dragon

That would be interesting if they could animate it like they did originally with The Hobbit.

intresting idea

Animated would work IMHO.

Jean
07-19-2013, 02:55 AM
I would love to see animated Dark Tower. NOT joking.

RainInSpain
07-19-2013, 04:30 AM
I would love to see animated Dark Tower. NOT joking.

Hmm, never thought of it, but now that I do, it looks like this could be interesting.

fearless-freak
07-19-2013, 04:33 AM
if they could find the right director, then yes

Jean
07-19-2013, 09:40 AM
I would love to see animated Dark Tower. NOT joking.

Hmm, never thought of it, but now that I do, it looks like this could be interesting.No, really. I can imagine TDT as almost anything except a feature film. A cartoon, a musical, an opera, a symphony, you name it.

mystima
07-21-2013, 12:44 AM
this is the type of animation I would like to see for TDT to be done in


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMd5zNUq4e4

Mattrick
07-21-2013, 10:34 PM
Dolan's Cadillac and Survivor Type double feature!

Bad Penny
07-28-2013, 10:42 PM
I may be the only person in the entire world who thinks a great movie could be made from Roadwork. But I do!

Nope, there are now two :smile: Good choice !!!!

Jean
07-29-2013, 01:46 AM
l am tempted to say "three", but even though it's one of my favorite novels ever - or maybe, on the contrary, because of this - I don't believe they could make a movie worthy of it

mattgreenbean
07-29-2013, 04:39 AM
Dolan's Cadillac and Survivor Type double feature!

Dolan's Cadillac
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963965/

I wouldn't recommend this though. ha

Iwritecode
07-29-2013, 06:23 AM
l am tempted to say "three", but even though it's one of my favorite novels ever - or maybe, on the contrary, because of this - I don't believe they could make a movie worthy of it

I've read this book a few times and just never really "got" it. I couldn't really identify with the main character and didn't understand his motivation.

He was literally trying to fight city hall when he knew it was a battle he would never be able to win. I never understood the point.

That being said, it would make for a terrible movie. If they did do it, it would probably end up like the film adaption of The Running Man, where the only thing it really has in common with the book is the name.

They would have to “Hollywood” the story way up including the ending.

Jean
07-29-2013, 06:28 AM
I've read this book a few times and just never really "got" it. I couldn't really identify with the main character and didn't understand his motivation.
and I could and did... I wish I couldn't and hadn't.

Bryant Burnette
07-29-2013, 03:23 PM
I've read this book a few times and just never really "got" it. I couldn't really identify with the main character and didn't understand his motivation.
and I could and did... I wish I couldn't and hadn't.

Ever seen Drive? I can imagine Refn directing it with Gosling starring. That'd be the tone I'd want to see, at least.

Jean
07-29-2013, 11:29 PM
No, I haven't seen it. I think I'll try to find it, to see what you mean.

IWasSentWest
07-30-2013, 08:40 PM
The Talisman
I would like to finally see this for the mere fact that if they made this...it could possibly lead to Black House being done. Either could be great, IMHO.

Merlin1958
07-31-2013, 06:14 PM
The Talisman
I would like to finally see this for the mere fact that if they made this...it could possibly lead to Black House being done. Either could be great, IMHO.

Hate to say it, but I do not believe either will happen. Regardless, I agree with your sentiment.

Bryant Burnette
08-01-2013, 02:32 AM
Hate to say it, but I do not believe either will happen.

Why? As big a hit as Under the Dome is, the odds of more Stephen King projects happening have become much greater. And since Spielberg has been interested in The Talisman for three decades, that one seems entirely possible.