4 Stephen King Movies That Are Almost Perfect Adaptations (Including 2025’s Brand New Remake)

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Stephen King is an incredibly productive author, having written over 60 novels and more than 200 short stories. Because of this huge body of work, his stories are all over popular culture in movies and TV shows. Even books people thought couldn’t be adapted have been made into films, and some adaptations continue to be popular despite significant changes from the original stories. While many works are based on King’s writing, only a few truly capture his original vision.

As a huge movie fan, I’m always looking for adaptations that really get it right. You won’t find films like The Green Mile or The Shawshank Redemption on this list, because those are pretty much perfect translations of the book to the screen. What I’ve put together here are four movies that are incredibly faithful to Stephen King’s stories – almost scene-for-scene. But each one has just a single, small change from the book that always makes me pause and think, “Wait a minute, that didn’t happen quite like that in the book!” It’s not necessarily a bad change, just a noticeable one.

4) Carrie (1976)

It might seem a little unfair to include Brian De Palma’s film adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie because it was made before King became famous and before his novels were known for being very long. However, this actually worked to the film’s advantage. Because the book was relatively short, the 98-minute movie could cover almost everything from the story without feeling rushed or padded.

The movie version of Carrie mostly stays true to the book, except for how it ends. The novel finishes by showing the aftermath of the prom disaster and hinting that another child with telekinetic abilities is emerging. The film, however, concludes with a shocking jump scare featuring Carrie’s hand rising from the wreckage of her house. Even with this difference, the movie is remarkably faithful to Stephen King’s story.

3) IT (2017)

What makes the 2017 film IT such a strong adaptation is its clever approach to the source material. Instead of trying to fit the entire novel into one movie, it focuses on just one half of the story – the childhood section – which many consider the better part. Stephen King’s book jumps between the kids and the adults, but the film smartly chose to tell each part separately, with the intention of continuing the story later if the first film did well. Thankfully, it did, and we’ve now seen the continuation of that story!

Another reason this adaptation isn’t quite perfect is the change in time period. Stephen King’s original story took place in the 1950s and 1980s, but the 2017 and 2019 films moved those timelines forward. The 2017 film, IT, is set in 1988, which significantly alters the childhood experiences of the characters compared to the book. However, the film does include important elements from the novel that were left out of the previous miniseries, such as It’s other monstrous forms beyond Pennywise – like The Leper – and the terrifying Deadlights, making it a strong adaptation overall.

2) The Mist

The movie The Mist is remarkably faithful to Stephen King’s original novella, likely because the source material is relatively concise. It successfully incorporates all the key plot points, such as Norm being pulled away by unseen tentacles, the store’s lights drawing in monstrous creatures resembling dinosaurs, hints about the secretive ‘Arrowhead Project,’ Mrs. Carmody’s rise as a religious fanatic influencing others, and the terrifying spider invasion of a local pharmacy.

The biggest difference between the movie The Mist and Stephen King’s original story is how it ends. In the book, the story concludes with David and a small group of survivors heading into the mist, their future unknown. The film takes a much darker turn: David, running low on gas, makes the heartbreaking decision to kill his fellow survivors to spare them a terrible fate. What makes it even more shocking is that the mist then lifts, and the army arrives, leaving viewers to wonder if David’s actions were justified or if the fanatical Mrs. Carmody was right all along. This bleak ending has made the movie a well-known Stephen King adaptation, and interestingly, King himself approves of the change and wishes he’d come up with it for the original novella.

1) The Running Man (2025)

Edgar Wright’s The Running Man isn’t a remake of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film. It’s actually a fresh adaptation of Stephen King’s original novel. While the earlier movie significantly changed the story – earning it a spot on lists of the worst Stephen King adaptations – this new film closely follows the book, with only minor differences in details like prize amounts and character backgrounds. However, there is one major change to be aware of. Spoiler Warning for The Running Man follows.

The trailers for the movie The Running Man suggested it would have the same bleak ending as the original book, but the film actually changed things significantly. In the book, the character Richards intentionally crashes his plane into the building where the show’s creator, Dan Killian, is located, resulting in both of their deaths. However, the movie version shows Richards’ plane being shot down before it reaches the building. This leads to a finale where Richards is presumed dead, but he unexpectedly leads a revolt against the Running Man studio and is ultimately shot and killed as the credits roll.

The ending of The Running Man was likely altered for two main reasons: to avoid parallels with the 9/11 attacks and to ensure a positive outcome for Glen Powell’s character, allowing him a heroic final scene and keeping him alive. While this change made the film a very close adaptation of the book, it lessened the impact of the original ending, preventing it from being truly perfect.

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2025-11-15 03:12