# 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:** 5
**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 26, 2026, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/81 "2026-08-26T17:07:16Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > A couple of prominent gaps in the OP’s list: > > - Creepshow (1982) > - Cujo (1983) > - Children of the Corn (1984) > - Firestarter (1984) > - The Running Man (1987) or more faithful 2025 remake Yeah, but none of these were great. As a matter of fact, I often use Cujo as an example of a movie that was better than the book. Not because the movie was great, but because the book sucked. I appreciated Running Man (1987) for what it was; I like Running Man (2025) for being more faithful. ---
**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, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/82 "2026-08-26T17:14:01Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > > [@TroutMan](#): > > > > Tim Curry never looks like anything other than some guy hamming it up in a clown suit. > > Different squids for different kids, that’s fine. But I thought Curry _was_ scary as Pennywise. Yes, he hammed it up, but he was acting like a clown. Maybe _you_ didn’t jump when he came running up to the front of that black-and-white photo, but I did! Yeah, to each their own, but one could say similar about Curry’s iconic depiction of Dr. Frank N. Furter in TRHPS - just some guy hamming it up in drag. And yet, in a way, Curry’s depiction of Pennywise was almost a sequel or homage to Dr.F-- humor, irony, cosplay, and yes, downright menace, all wrapped up in a great performance. Maybe I’m being overly sentimental since he just died, but I did do a rewatch of the ‘It’ miniseries not too long ago, and remember at the time thinking in general it held up well, and specifically liking Curry’s Pennywise performance. > [@msmith537](#): > > Dreamcatcher was pretty bad. Not to mention the book. Other than the Dark Tower series (like I said upthread, fantasy just ain’t my bag), I’ve read just about everything King has ever written, of which there’s been better and worse, but I think Dreamcatcher is the only one that made me outright think “this _reeeally_ sucks”. It was like a much inferior writer trying to copycat King while adding a shit-ton (heh) of needless scatalogical details. To be fair, I believe it was the first thing he wrote after getting hit by a van, and I think I read that King even said he was in a very bad place when he wrote it-- incapacitated, angry, bitter, mentally foggy and drugged-up with pain meds. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2026, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/83 "2026-08-26T17:20:00Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > t’s been a long time since I’ve seen it, but I remember liking it You remember incorrectly 😃 ---
**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 26, 2026, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/84 "2026-08-26T17:22:54Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > You remember incorrectly I think not, but I’m also very accustomed to liking things that most people don’t. > [@Thumper668](#): > > my favorite Stephen King movie is The Dark Tower (2017) ---
**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 26, 2026, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/85 "2026-08-26T20:31:46Z")
> [@Thumper668](#): > > It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it, but I remember liking it I liked the first part, it was successful at being creepy. Then the ending came and I was baffled. I guess if you read the book it made more sense. I also liked Children of the Corn. That was one I watched a million times on cable Now, will anyone defend Lawnmower Man? ---
**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 26, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/86 "2026-08-26T20:35:37Z")
This thread prompted me to have a look at the list of Stephen King adaptations on Wikipedia @gyrate posted and I found 3 recent ones I haven’t seen that I’ve now watchlisted. _The Monkey_ and _The Boogeyman_ are both on Hulu, and _In the Tall Grass_ is available on Netflix. Of the 3 I’ve only read _The Monkey_. Looking forward to them all. ---
**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 26, 2026, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/87 "2026-08-26T20:38:19Z")
> [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](#): > > Now, will anyone defend Lawnmower Man? Even Stephen King himself won’t defend _Lawnmower Man._ In fact, he sued to have his name taken off the movie and the marketing materials because it bears literally zero resemblance to the story he actually wrote. ---
**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 26, 2026, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/88 "2026-08-26T20:39:24Z")
> [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](#): > > Now, will anyone defend Lawnmower Man? I don’t think it’s worth considering as an adaptation. Evidently, King didn’t think so either. [Stephen King wins lawsuit](https://web.archive.org/web/20231125153908/https://ew.com/article/1994/04/22/stephen-king-wins-lawsuit/) ETA: Ninja’ed ---
**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 26, 2026, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/89 "2026-08-26T20:43:17Z")
It did inspire a pretty good Rick and Morty episode, at least. ---
**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, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/90 "2026-08-26T20:45:57Z")
> [@Nicest\_of\_the\_Damned](#): > > I also liked Children of the Corn. That was one I watched a million times on cable > > Now, will anyone defend Lawnmower Man? Are you offering these up as write-in candidates, or just casual mentions? I’ve taken to updating the write-in list in the mornings. ---
**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 26, 2026, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/91 "2026-08-26T20:56:48Z")
Oh, sorry. I already voted for my five, don’t want to skew the results. I was just defending CotC, which was mentioned above. Doesn’t sound like there is much love for Lawnmower Man so probably not worth it. ---
**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, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/92 "2026-08-26T20:58:23Z")
OK, thanks for the follow up. It’s sometimes difficult to tell what’s meant as a write-in and what’s just a mention (not the this is the world’s most scientific poll or anything). ---
**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 26, 2026, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/93 "2026-08-26T21:04:01Z")
Oh, we get 5? OK, well I put in DT and HIA already, so I’ll fill out the other 3 with _11.22.63_, _Running Man_ (2025), and _The Dead Zone_. ---
**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 27, 2026, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/94 "2026-08-27T12:04:21Z")
Here is the updated write-in list: - The Dead Zone (1983 Movie): 7 votes - Maximum Overdrive (1986 Movie): 4 votes - Needful Things (1993 Movie): 3 votes - The Running Man (1987 Movie): 2 votes - The Langoliers (1995 Miniseries) 2 votes - 1408 (2007 Movie): 2 votes - 11.22.63 (2016 Miniseries): 2 votes - Doctor Sleep (2019 Movie): 2 votes - The Life of Chuck (2024 Movie): 2 votes - Salem’s Lot (1979 Miniseries): 1 vote - Creepshow (1982 Movie): 1 vote - Cujo (1983 Movie): 1 vote - Children of the Corn (1984 Movie): 1 vote - Firestarter (1984 Movie): 1 vote - Pet Sematary (1989 Movie): 1 vote - Hearts in Atlantis (2001 Movie): 1 vote - The Dark Tower (2017 Movie): 1 vote - Mr. Mercedes (2017 TV Series) 1 vote - The Outsider (2020 Miniseries): 1 vote - The Running Man (2025 Movie): 1 vote ---
**Author:** ![emulsified](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emulsified/32/2915_2.png) [@emulsified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emulsified)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/95 "2026-08-27T12:23:24Z")
Since it hasn’t been mentioned yet and actually wasn’t that bad, I’ll throw in **1922** released on Netflix in 2017. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/96 "2026-08-27T13:00:34Z")
No love for The Monkey (2025)? ---
**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 27, 2026, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/97 "2026-08-27T13:01:24Z")
I just saw it last night. I enjoyed it, but not enough to change any of my votes. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2026, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/98 "2026-08-27T13:03:42Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Here is the updated write-in list Kinda shocking just how many film adaptations he’s had, really. I like King, at least overall. But man, that’s a lot of films. Dude has got to be richer than God by now. ---
**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 27, 2026, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/99 "2026-08-27T13:16:33Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > > [@solost](#): > > > > Here is the updated write-in list > > Kinda shocking just how many film adaptations he’s had, really. I know, right? And in maintaining the write-in list, it’s getting harder and harder to tell what’s an actual vote and what’s just a casual mention: “what about this King adaptation? Anyone like it?”. I said I was trying my best to decide what’s an actual write-in, erring on the side of inclusivity. But looking at the poll tally, there’s only 8 write-in votes, and currently 37 votes in the write-in list I’m maintaining. Technically, that could work, since I said everyone can make 5 choices. If everyone who voted ‘write-in’ in the poll had 5 write-in votes, that’d be 8 x 5 = 45. But realistically, I know I’m letting too many casual mentions in the write-in list. So from now on, I’m including in the write-in list going forward _ **only** _ those who specifically say “My write-in vote(s) is / are…”. ---
**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 27, 2026, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524/100 "2026-08-27T13:23:27Z")
Maybe we can make it easier on @solost by clarifying our write-ins. Mine are: - The Dark Tower - Hearts in Atlantis - 11.22.63 - The Dead Zone - The Running Man (2025) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-stephen-king-tv-movie-adaptation-poll/1032524.md?page=6)