Throughout the course of his 40-year career, author Stephen King has had his ups and downs when it comes to live-action adaptations of his works. Some of these adaptations have gone on to be some of the best films of the year and TV series have earned multiple seasons, while other adaptations have been heavily criticized.
One of the defining voices of horror of the 20th century, Stephen King had his first novel, Carrie, published in 1973. Three years later, the film was adapted by director Brian De Palma and starring Sissy Spacek in a career-defining role. Ever since that success, filmmakers, studios, and television networks have mined virtually every piece of King’s work for the potential to have the next biggest hit.
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King might be most well-known for his work in horror, but he’s also helped bring to life incredible dramatic works, with his stories being adapted for the films Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Green Mile.
This year has proven to be one of the most jam-packed with adaptations from the author, ranging from films, TV, and streaming services. With The Mist currently airing on Spike, there are still many King projects to look forward to for the remainder of the year.
Scroll down to see which Stephen King projects we’re most looking forward to for the rest of 2017!
4) Mr. Mercedes – August 9
Based on Stephen King’s 2014 book, Mr. Mercedes follows demented killer Brady Hartsfield, who taunts a retired police detective Bill Hodges with a series of lurid letters and emails, forcing the ex-cop to undertake a private, and potentially felonious, crusade to bring the killer to justice before he is able to strike again.
Brendan Gleeson leads as Detective Bill Hodges, along with Harry Treadaway (Penny Dreadful) as Brady Hartsfield. Jharrel Jerome (Moonlight) is cast as Jerome Robinson, Scott Lawrence (Avatar) as Detective Peter Dixon, Robert Stanton (Mercury Rising) as Anthony “Robi” Frobisher, and Ann Cusack (Nightcrawler) as Olivia Trelawney, with Mary Louise-Parker (Weeds) as Janey Patterson, and Holland Taylor (The Truman Show) as Ida Silver. Kelly Lynch (Deborah Hartsfield), Justine Lupe (Holly Gibney) and Breeda Wool (Lou Linklatter) also star.
The 10-episode series is rife with talented actors and focuses on murder and mystery more than the supernatural, a realm in which King doesn’t often explore.
3) Gerald’s Game – TBA
Directed by Oculus and Hush filmmaker Mike Flanagan, Gerald’s Game‘s synopsis is as follows:
“Once again, Jessie Burlingame has been talked into submitting to her husband, Gerald’s, kinky sex games—something that she’s frankly had enough of, and they never held much charm for her to begin with. So much for a “romantic getaway” at their secluded summer home. After Jessie is handcuffed to the bedposts—and Gerald crosses a line with his wife—the day ends with deadly consequences. Now Jessie is utterly trapped in an isolated lakeside house that has become her prison—and comes face-to-face with her deepest, darkest fears and memories. Her only company is that of the various voices filling her mind… as well as the shadows of nightfall that may conceal an imagined or very real threat right there with her…”
The film stars Carla Gugino and, as evidenced by the film’s description, is limited to one location. These challenges are what make us most excited for the film that’s slated to come to Netflix sometime later this year.
Details on its release might be sparse, but advanced word is promising, with producer Trevor Macy explaining to the Daily Dead, “One of the more fulfilling moments in my professional life was showing this cut to Stephen King and having him tweet how excited he was about it.”
2) The Dark Tower – August 4
Based on a series of eight books, fans have been clamoring to get a live-action adaptation of this series for decades.
Roland Deschain (Idris Elba), the last Gunslinger, is locked in an eternal battle with Walter O’Dim (Matthew McConaughey), also known as the Man in Black. The Gunslinger must prevent the Man in Black from toppling the Dark Tower, the key that holds the universe together. With the fate of worlds at stake, two men collide in the ultimate battle between good and evil.
In addition to being a loose adaptation of some of the characters and events from the series of books, The Dark Tower also serves as somewhat of a sequel to the events of the last book, which means there’s fresh material for fans both new and old.
1) It – September 8
Stephen King’s original epic novel It is considered by many to be one of his defining pieces of literature. The story was previously adapted into a mini-series in 1990, but given the limitations of network television at the time, both with budgets and censorship, many readers felt as though the series failed to capture what made the novel so effective.
The storyline revolves around a group of young kids in Derry, Maine who come face-to-face with their worst fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, whose history of murder and violence dates back for centuries.
The cast of IT includes: Bill Skarsgård, Javier Botet, Jaeden Lieberher, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Jack Dylan Grazer, Chosen Jacobs, Wyatt Oleff, Nicholas Hamilton, Owen Teague and Logan Thompson.
It has already earned an R rating and the epic story will be broken up into two films, making it our most anticipated Stephen King project to come out this year.
Honorable Mention – Castle Rock (TBA)
Although it’s not even going into production until next year, we can’t help but be thrilled over each announcement that’s been released about Hulu’s Castle Rock.
A psychological-horror series set in the Stephen King multi-verse, Castle Rock combines the mythological scale and intimate character storytelling of King’s best-loved works, weaving an epic saga of darkness and light, played out on a few square miles of Maine woodland. The fictional Maine town of Castle Rock has figured prominently in King’s literary career: Cujo, The Dark Half, IT and Needful Things, as well as novella The Body and numerous short stories such as Rita Hayworth and The ShawshankRedemptionare either set there or contain references to Castle Rock. Castle Rock is an original suspense/thriller — a first-of-its-kind re-imagining that explores the themes and worlds uniting the entire King canon, while brushing up against some of his most iconic and beloved stories.
Considering the vast amount of King stories we all know and love, being able to see characters from a variety of different series interact with one another is going to be a dream come true.
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Damon Wayans Jr. and Lamorne Morris in 'New Girl.' Credit: Hulu
