Summary

Stephen Kinghas had dozens of moving picture and TV show adapted from his books and short account , make him the most adapted author animated . He is quickly grab up to the next most fertile author to be adapted , Agatha Christie . However , both are a considerable way off from the all - time most adapted author , William Shakespeare . However , his work has a couple of hundred years advantage over Christie and King to distribute around the macrocosm and be resign in many languages .

While King typically has studio line up up to purchase the picture and video rights to his work , several projects of his are yet to be adjust . For many , the right have been acquired , but for one intellect or another , the task has never gone all the way to have an adaptation made . The industry can be challenge and time - consuming when it arrive to getting projects fully realized , with many production taking yr to cross the finish line of reasoning .

9The Eyes Of The Dragon

Published 1984

First in the lineup ofunrealized book adaptationsis King ’s detour into writing an larger-than-life fantasy novel . While King is predominantly fuck for his contribution to horror , The oculus of the Dragonis set within the earth of his wider fancy stories , The Dark Tower , and details a story about a jealous thaumaturge and his rival for the throne . Therights for the project have been optioned multiple timessince before 2000 . Most of late , Hulu announced plan to accommodate the novel into a TV series , with Seth Grahame - Smith to produce , but after old age in development hell , Seth confirmed the project was scratch due to budgetary worry ( viaAudioboom ) .

8The Long Walk

Published 1979

latterly , the undertaking receive its most bright update in age with Francis Lawrence announced as director and a originative team forming around the project .

AlthoughThe Long Walkwasn’t publisheduntil 1979 , it was King ’s first complete novel . After releasing other books and base his success , King went on to spell several novels under the nom de guerre Richard Bachman , withThe Long Walkbeing the second to be released . Since 1988 , rumors have swirl about adaptations with George A. Romero approached to direct , but this never pan out ( viaTHR ) . of late , the project received its most promising update in twelvemonth with Francis Lawrence announced as director and a creative squad forming around the labor . If all continues to go well , it could appear in the next couple of old age thanks to Lionsgate .

For safe or for spoiled , Stephen King lean to recycle a peck of trope and archetypes in his floor , and they are ever - present in the adaptations .

Split image of Carrie White, Bill Benbrough, and Mrs. Carmody as various characters from Stephen King stories

7Joyland

Published 2013

Stephen King was well - show by 2013 and anything he writes is usually consider for an adaption . So when his novelJoylandwas unfreeze in 2013 , itquickly had offers to adapt the storyof a haunted theme park and a solitary son . In 2018 , Freeform was attempting to turn the novel into a series ( viaDeadline ) , but since the initial announcement , nothing official has come from anywhere to work out on the task . make it seem potential thatJoylandwon’t be adapt any time soon .

6Revival

Published 2014

Revivalis another of King ’s latest works to be shopped around and continuously end up suddenly in the water . The novel follow an ex - preacher who heals people through unconventional methods using electrical energy , akin to how Frankenstein liven his monster . While the project has had eager attempts to adapt it andseveral names attach , includingMike Flanaganto write and direct , the project appears to have been cancel in 2021 ( viaCollider ) .

5Roadwork

Published 1981

Another of King ’s novels published under the Bachman name , Roadwork , is about a man who is due to have both his home and body of work demolished to make way for an extension to a nearby highway . Theproject was due to be adapted by Andy and Barbara Muschietti , the squad behindItandIt : Chapter Two , as herald in 2019 , but further update have yet to appear ( viaSlash Film ) . The project is likely to make its direction to the big screen at some point , but until further developments are announced , and the originative squad attached , it ’s not expect to make it anytime soon .

4The Regulators

Published 1996

While this novel was release almost 20 years ago , word about adjustment have only late resurfaced and get any sort of credible update .

Thefinal entry from Richard Bachmanto be admit on this list , The Regulatorswas created as a parallel substitute universe to the one portray in Stephen King’sDesperation . While this novel was released almost 20 year ago , discussions about adaptations have only recently resurfaced and received any sort of believable update . In late 2022 , ascript by George Cowan was potentially being penned for Bohemia Group(viaDeadline ) . Further updates have been non - existing , but with how recently the declaration total out , further news could be arriving any day .

Although maybe not quite as famous as some of Stephen King ’s other work , these adaptations are no less scary .

A two-image collage. On the left is the poster of the 2007 film 1408, featuring the faces of John Cusack and Samuel L Jackson’s faces split by a hotel key. On the right is the poster of the 1984 film Children of the Corn, featuring the black silhouette of a child’s hand holding a sickle against a red sky.

3The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Published 1999

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordonfollows a 9 - year - onetime girl who gets split up from her family on a hike . She contend to keep her sanity with almost no food or piss and a walkman that she uses to listen to theme about her favorite athlete , Tom Gordon . The novel wasoriginally set to be conform by George A. Romero , but it stalled and was n’t revisit until after his decease . As recently as 2019 and 2020 , there have been updates with the picture still being produced by Romero ’s wife , Chris Romero , and directed by Lynne Ramsey ( viaTHR ) .

2From A Buick 8

Published 2002

From a Buick 8is King ’s second novel about a supernatural car , after the highly praisedChristine . Again , George A. Romero was originally attachedto the project and playscript were being written , but after changing hands several times and stalling production , the adaptation now seem to be in the mitt of actor Thomas Jane , who has formed a product company so as to bring this project to life . In August 2020 , heannounced that Jim Mickle had been signed on to direct(viaBloody Disgusting ) .

1Duma Key

Published 2008

Duma Keyfollows an elderly man who tolerate a terrible injury that prevent him from working his manual labor job . As his life begins to fall asunder , he is encouraged to take up his hobbyhorse of artistic creation and move to the smooth retreat island of Duma Key , Florida . Supernatural effect start to occur around him and his lottery , and the closed book thicken as the novel extend . Duma Keyhas had multiple hearsay circulate about the task being adapted and even names bind to direct , but nothing reputable or recent . It appears that Stephen King’sDuma Keyis far from a possible adaptation at nowadays .

In a dusty landscape Finn stares out into the distance in Star Wars: The Force Awakens

stephen king stylised image over a pile of his books

The Eyes of the Dragon Stephen King cover

Stephen King The Long Walk

Joyland Stephen King Freeform

Revival by Stephen King cover art lightning.

stephen king roadwork book cover

Stephen King The Regulators

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon Stephen King Book Cover

From A Buick 8

Duma Key