# Best Stephen King TV / Movie Adaptation? (Poll) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, movies\ **Created:** [August 24, 2026, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524 "2026-08-24T13:44:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/21 "2026-08-24T15:20:10Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > My write-in is **The Dead Zone**. 1983. Starring Christopher Walken. > [@ZonexandScout](#): > > Yes, **What\_Exit**! Not a hugely great movie overall, but very faithful to the tone and general off-putting of the novel. _The Dead Zone_ is shamefully overlooked. Yeah, I should have added it to the poll. Oversight on my part. Oh well, that’s what the ‘write-in’ vote is for. Very underrated book among the King oeuvre as well, I think. Creepy as hell. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/22 "2026-08-24T16:39:13Z")
A couple early observations: ‘Shawshank’ and ‘Stand By Me’ are in the lead, as expected, but with ‘Misery’ rounding the corner in an unexpectedly strong dark horse 3rd place spot. I had expected ‘The Shining (1980 Movie)’ to easily take 3rd place, but I’m a little gratified to see it’s down to 5th place. I wouldn’t mind seeing ‘Carrie’ pull ahead of ‘Shining’, though. As I’ve mentioned before, I hated ‘The Shining’ when it first came out because of all the liberties Kubrick took with the source material. And, though I’ve come to appreciate the Kubrick version, somewhat, as its own Kubrickian thing, I still don’t think it should rate highly as a King adaptation. Dare I say, even, that sometimes I think Kubrick, in general, is a wee tad bit overrated? Though it’s a little early to do so, it’s a slow day at work, so I put together the list of write-in candidates so far: - The Dead Zone (1983 Movie): 3 votes - Needful Things (1993 Movie): 2 votes - Salem’s Lot (1979 Miniseries): 1 vote - Maximum Overdrive (1986 Movie): 1 vote - The Dark Tower (2017 Movie): 1 vote - Doctor Sleep (2019 Movie): 1 vote - The Outsider (2020 Miniseries): 1 vote - The Life of Chuck (2024 Movie): 1 vote ---
**Author:** ![Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8baadc/32.png) [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicest_of_the_Damned)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/23 "2026-08-24T17:09:10Z")
I love the Maximum Overdrive movie! But I never read the book so I can’t compare. My controversial opinion is that the movie Delores Claiborne is vastly superior to the book. I saw the movie first so maybe it’s not a fair contest. But I loved the movie and found the book flat and disappointing. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/24 "2026-08-24T17:10:43Z")
Adding another “Doctor Sleep” write-in vote. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/25 "2026-08-24T17:17:55Z")
> [@solost](#): > > As I’ve mentioned before, I hated ‘The Shining’ when it first came out because of all the liberties Kubrick took with the source material. What bothered me the most was the hedge maze instead of topiary animals attacking. I think they could have done a cool job of that, even with 1980 technology. I did not hit “write in” because reading is a skill that I sometimes ignore. I actually _like_ Maximum Overdrive, and also would have written in Storm of the Century ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/26 "2026-08-24T17:32:58Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > …and also would have written in Storm of the Century [Not an adaptation, actually](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_of_the_Century); it was written as an original miniseries by King. Interesting(?) bit o’ trivia, though: it stars Tiim Daly, half of the two co-leads of the show ‘Wings’. Since the other Wings co-lead, Stever Webber, was in the [miniseries adaptation of ‘The Shining’](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118460/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3_tt_7_nm_1_in_0_q_the%20shining), both Wings leads have starred in Stephen King miniseries. When’s Tony Shalhoub going to get a crack at a King joint? Oh, wait… > Tony Shalhoub co-starred in the 2007 psychological horror film 1408, which is based on Stephen King’s 1999 short story. He played Sam Farrell, the literary agent of the main character, cynical paranormal debunker Mike Enslin (played by John Cusack). Good short story and underrated movie, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/27 "2026-08-24T17:53:28Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > What bothered me the most was the hedge maze instead of topiary animals attacking. I think they could have done a cool job of that, even with 1980 technology. Adam Savage made a replica of the maze from the movie that became part of the traveling Kubrick exhibition. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZfumU7ss1Cg/maxresdefault.jpg "Adam Savage's Overlook Maze Model at the Stanley Kubrick Exhibition!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfumU7ss1Cg) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/28 "2026-08-24T17:58:27Z")
A few random comments. For some inexplicable reason, _Stand By Me_ is one of the few highly rated movies that I haven’t seen, a situation that I intend to remedy very soon. I note that _The Shawshank Redemption_ is currently at the top of the list, and rightfully so. I didn’t vote for it and have no desire to see it again just because it’s so damn depressing. I suppose the same can be said for _The Green Mile_ – maybe even more so – but it has intriguing elements of the supernatural. I’m surprised there isn’t more love for _The Shining_. The novel was a Stephen King masterpiece – one of his best – and the Stanley Kubrick film was a masterpiece in itself. Kubrick chose to film it in a clunky 4:3 aspect ratio so it would look good on the televison sets of the time, which is how it was first released to DVD. In theaters, it was cropped to 16:9 widescreen with the “open matte” concept. It was years before it was cropped to widescreen for DVD and Blu-ray release. Kubrick was apparently careful not to let any important details get lost in the cropping. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/29 "2026-08-24T18:16:02Z")
I’m not sure I’d say I _like_ **Maximum Overdrive** but I appreciate it for what it is. I’m pretty sure Alan Moore wrote a very similar short story in his _Future Shocks_ series but I couldn’t say whose came first. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/30 "2026-08-24T18:17:00Z")
I didn’t vote for The Shining at all. It’s a great book, and a great movie. However, they don’t have a lot in common with each other. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/31 "2026-08-24T18:36:01Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > For some inexplicable reason, _Stand By Me_ is one of the few highly rated movies that I haven’t seen, a situation that I intend to remedy very soon. It’s currently on HBO Max, if you happen to have a subscription. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/32 "2026-08-24T19:11:22Z")
I’m one of the votes for the Kubrick “The Shining.” Despite lack of fidelity to the novel, it is, in my view, an actual work of art. From the weirdness of the “impossible architecture” to the flawless casting, it has not one dull second. But I have seen all the others in the poll and do think very highly of them. I’m honestly not sure what my second-ranked choice would be. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/33 "2026-08-24T19:47:51Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > But if you understand the movie to be separate from the books (i.e. another turn of the wheel) it puts a totally different perspective in front of you that focuses on the relationship between Roland and Jake. It _adds_ to the books, and very few movies ever do that. I can understand that perspective, but I really think it takes away from the books in the sense that it has detracted from the books’ potential audience. As just a movie, it was boring and formulaic. As an adaption, it was unfaithful and tone deaf. I will agree that fans want the impossible. Flannigan is working on putting something together with Amazon, but even with an unlimited budget I don’t know if it’ll work. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/34 "2026-08-24T21:37:07Z")
> [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](#): > > I love the Maximum Overdrive movie! But I never read the book so I can’t compare. It was just a short story called “Trucks” (1973) in a collection called _Night Shift_. It was the first Stephen King book I ever read. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/35 "2026-08-24T21:42:03Z")
Another one of my favorites that I haven’t seen mentioned is _Hearts in Atlantis_. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/36 "2026-08-24T21:58:11Z")
**Mr. Meredes** isn’t mentioned, either. It was a decent series but easy to leave off, considering the competition. The same is true of **Pet Sematary**. Perhaps movies and tv series should be separated. I only voted for movies in the poll. Looking at tv shows. I’d probably put **Mr. Mercedes** and **11.22.63** at the top. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/37 "2026-08-24T22:02:43Z")
I only picked three, _Carrie, Shawshank Redemption,_ and _Stand by Me_. I only chose those which I had read the original story and watched the movie. I loved the movie _The Shining_, but I never read the book. As I understand it, the movie deviates very far from what Stephen wrote. Also, I loved _The Green Mile_, the movie. I never read the book. And conversely, I read _The Long Walk_, but never saw the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/38 "2026-08-24T22:22:56Z")
Add another write-in vote for **Life of Chuck**. It was surprisingly good. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/39 "2026-08-24T23:01:57Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > **Mr. Meredes** isn’t mentioned, either. I rather enjoyed that show. Mostly because of Brendan Gleeson. That counts as my other, after the big 2. ---
**Author:** ![JDYanYan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jdyanyan/32/21663_2.png) [@JDYanYan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JDYanYan)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/40 "2026-08-24T23:08:08Z")
I was really fond of 1408 with John Cusack. (Incidentally my wife was an extra in The Mist, but even with that taken into consideration the ending absolutely ruined it, also the CG is like sharknado bad.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524.md?page=3)