# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/41 "2026-08-24T23:23:55Z")
> [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](#): > > My controversial opinion is that the movie Delores Claiborne is vastly superior to the book. I would second that, and it’s really rare for me to think a movie manages to improve on the book. Also, I am really surprised that Delores Claiborne isn’t doing better in the poll. I think it’s the best movie adaptation of any Stephen King work. With Misery close behind. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2026, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/42 "2026-08-24T23:24:06Z")
**Misery** is the only Stephen King adaptation I’ve seen that I consider to be great rather than just good (or worse). ---
**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, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/43 "2026-08-24T23:48:29Z")
Misery was great. I guess Kathy Bates needs to do more Stephen King stories. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/44 "2026-08-25T01:37:47Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > 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. Yeah, I only voted for the 1980 The Shining. I’m not much of a King fan, but am a giant Kubrick fan. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/45 "2026-08-25T08:19:30Z")
Another write-in for The Dead Zone! ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/46 "2026-08-25T12:23:56Z")
> [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](#): > > Delores Claiborne > [@AHunter3](#): > > Delores Claiborne _sighs in Spanish-speaker frustation_ D_O_lores Claiborne. “Dolores” means “Pains” in Spanish, “Delores” doesn’t mean anything and is not the first name of Mrs. Claiborne. ---
**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 25, 2026, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/47 "2026-08-25T12:55:32Z")
Updated list of write-ins: Maximum Overdrive doing unexpectedly well! Though, to be honest, I’m going by mentions, and not all specifically say “my write-in vote is…”. I did try to determine whether it seems someone is actually intending a write-in vote, or just offhand mentioning an adaptation, but I probably made some errors on the side of inclusion: - The Dead Zone (1983 Movie): 4 votes - Maximum Overdrive (1986 Movie): 4 votes - Needful Things (1993 Movie): 2 votes - Doctor Sleep (2019 Movie): 2 votes - The Life of Chuck (2024 Movie): 2 votes - Salem’s Lot (1979 Miniseries): 1 vote - Hearts in Atlantis (2001 Movie): 1 vote - 1408 (2007 Movie): 1 vote - 11.22.63 (2016 Miniseries): 1 vote - The Dark Tower (2017 Movie): 1 vote - Mr. Mercedes (2017 TV Series) 1 vote - The Outsider (2020 Miniseries): 1 vote > [@Frodo](#): > > _sighs in Spanish-speaker frustation_ > D_O_lores Claiborne. > > “Dolores” means “Pains” in Spanish Clearly it _pains_ you to see the name spelled wrong 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/48 "2026-08-25T13:20:57Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Clearly it _pains_ you to see the name spelled wrong 😉 It causes me not one Dolor but many Dolores. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/49 "2026-08-25T13:56:02Z")
My vote is for 1408. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/50 "2026-08-25T16:33:49Z")
I voted for _The Green Mile_. I love that movie, and always stop to watch it when I happen across it on TV. It was tough, though, because _Carrie_ is excellent too. The thing that tipped my vote was that _Carrie_ is so… _Seventies_. 🙂 D’oh! Just realized we could pick up to five. That’ll teach me to read the directions! Okay, here are my other four: - Carrie - It (the original 1990s miniseries) (Tim Curry blows the doors off the newer Pennywise) - The Stand (1994 miniseries) - Write-in candidate - The Langoliers Yeah, yeah, I know. The Langoliers was cheesy as hell, and had some truly tragic acting in it (seriously, somebody should have got that little blind girl some acting lessons, and apparently Dean Stockwell was very hungry, the way he was chewing the scenery). And don’t get me started on the “CGI.” But Mark Lindsay Chapman, Patricia Wettig, and David Morse were great, the rest of the cast was fine, and I loved the story. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/51 "2026-08-25T16:57:49Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > > [@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. The premise of the story was thin as hell. Which is ok for a short story. It doesn’t work so well as a movie. It’s ok if a short story is just a small slice of a world without much explanation. You need more in a movie. > [@AHunter3](#): > > > [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](#): > > > > My controversial opinion is that the movie Delores Claiborne is vastly superior to the book. > > I would second that, and it’s really rare for me to think a movie manages to improve on the book. > > Also, I am really surprised that Delores Claiborne isn’t doing better in the poll. I think it’s the best movie adaptation of any Stephen King work. With Misery close behind. I haven’t read many of his more recent work but there was a time when I read all of them. I couldn’t make it through Dolores Claiborne. The 1st person narration in her dialect made it impossible for me to get through. I agree the movie was much better. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/52 "2026-08-25T23:06:36Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > **The Dead Zone**. 1983. Starring Christopher Walken. I forgot about that! Excellent cast. My question: Has anyone voluntarily sat through _Misery_ twice? ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2026, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/53 "2026-08-25T23:30:41Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Has anyone voluntarily sat through _Misery_ twice? Absolutely! But I’ve only watched the hobbling scene once. ---
**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 26, 2026, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/54 "2026-08-26T10:19:08Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I haven’t read many of his more recent work but there was a time when I read all of them. I couldn’t make it through Dolores Claiborne. I read it but I couldn’t tell you anything about what happened in it. Unless that was the one with the evil dust bunny scene, which I remember because c’mon, it’s Stephen King writing about evil dust bunnies. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2026, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/55 "2026-08-26T10:58:36Z")
I think the evil dust bunnies were in _Bag of Bones_ ---
**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 26, 2026, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/56 "2026-08-26T11:23:02Z")
I’ve just checked and it was indeed _Dolores Claiborne_. From [here](https://stephenking.fandom.com/wiki/Dolores_Claiborne): > [@](#): > > Mrs. Donovan had been in a fragile mental state, fearing imaginary monsters, particularly “the wires” that would come out of the wall, and “the dust bunnies” which would all try to gang up and attack her. Dolores was always sympathetic of Vera during these times and would always come to comfort her. On the day of Vera’s death, Dolores had been outside hanging Vera’s sheets on the line when Vera began screaming about the dust bunnies attacking her. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2026, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/57 "2026-08-26T11:49:37Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > My write-in is **The Dead Zone**. 1983. Starring Christopher Walken. Seconded, or whatever number it’s up to. ---
**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 26, 2026, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/58 "2026-08-26T12:02:02Z")
Updated write-in list: - The Dead Zone (1983 Movie): 6 votes - Maximum Overdrive (1986 Movie): 4 votes - Needful Things (1993 Movie): 2 votes - 1408 (2007 Movie): 2 votes - Doctor Sleep (2019 Movie): 2 votes - The Life of Chuck (2024 Movie): 2 votes - Salem’s Lot (1979 Miniseries): 1 vote - The Langoliers (1995 Miniseries) 1 vote - Hearts in Atlantis (2001 Movie): 1 vote - 11.22.63 (2016 Miniseries): 1 vote - The Dark Tower (2017 Movie): 1 vote - Mr. Mercedes (2017 TV Series) 1 vote - The Outsider (2020 Miniseries): 1 vote ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2026, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/59 "2026-08-26T12:35:02Z")
Ah yes, I remember now. ---
**Author:** ![Quondam\_Mechanic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quondam_mechanic/32/3404_2.png) [@Quondam\_Mechanic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quondam_Mechanic)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2026, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/60 "2026-08-26T12:40:48Z")
And add another vote for Needful Things. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524.md?page=4)