From Page to Screen: 5 Stephen King Stories Perfect for Film
Some Stephen King film adaptations like The Shawshank Redemption, The Shining, and Misery have become classics, while others have faded into obscurity. Believe it or not, there are still some Stephen King works that haven’t been adapted for the big screen, even though they well deserve it. Here are five Stephen King stories that need a movie adaptation.
5 Stephen King Works Perfect for Film
1. Insomnia
This surreal novel takes the effects of sleep-deprivation to the extreme. When a man starts having hallucinations thanks to not sleeping, the real and unreal start to blur together. There is so much visual potential with the world of wide-awake dreams and psychic visions. While Stephen King himself might not be too fond of this book, it’s still a worthwhile read and it could make an amazing movie or TV show. It’s also set in King’s fictional town of Derry, Maine – the same place where It is set.
2. Duma Key
When a man loses an arm in an accident, he’s on the verge of losing his mind as well, but then his psychologist suggests that he move to the picturesque Duma Key and start drawing again. As he paints, his works unleash frightening powers. This is another novel with immense visual potential for surreal, terrifying imagery. While its third act is generally considered a disappointment, a film adaptation could give the story a stronger ending.
3. On Writing
Hear me out on this one, will you? This book is a nonfiction memoir/writing guide, but it could make for a unique biopic. We could see King’s life unfold and all the while, he could be developing his personal writing philosophies. We could also see his imagination catch fire as he writes some of his greatest books. It could be a great movie for writers and aspiring writers.
4. The Eyes of the Dragon
There have been several attempts to adapt this novel to the screen, but none of them have come to fruition, which is a shame. Instead of being a modern tale like most of King’s works, this book is a high fantasy story set in the old kingdom of Delain. King weaves his trademark dark fantasy into the long ago and far away setting, which would be perfect for the screen, especially given how fans of high fantasy are craving it again.
5. Fairy Tale
I put this in last place because as of right now, a TV series is supposedly in production, but as we’ve seen before, sometimes adaptations don’t fall through. King takes the world of fairy tales and unabashedly shows us their dark origins as an ordinary boy descends into an alternate universe. A film adaptation could bring the parallel fantasy world to stunning life. If the TV series actually falls through, here’s hoping that it’s true to the novel’s dark, yet hopeful spirt.
What is Stephen King’s Next Book?
On September 24, Stephen King releases his collaboration with the Maurice Sendak Foundation: a dark picture book adaptation of Hansel and Gretel. Much like Fairy Tale, it should revel in the dark side of children’s stories. A film adaptation of The Long Walk and a remake of The Running Man are coming to theaters on September 12 and November 7, respectively. We’re sure to see more awesomeness from Stephen King in the coming years as well. Long live the King.
