7 Stephen King Movies That King Himself Hated

Well, let me tell ya somethin’, I reckon I’ve read more books than most folks my age and seen a whole lotta movies too. But when it comes to Stephen King adaptations, I gotta say, some of ’em have left me scratchin’ my head in disbelief!

Now don’t get me wrong, there are a few that hit the nail on the head like “Carrie” and “The Shawshank Redemption.” But others, well, they’ve got me wonderin’ if the folks behind ’em even read the book.

Take “Maximum Overdrive,” for instance – I directed that mess myself, and I ain’t afraid to admit it was a flop. Cocaine’ll do that to ya! But my personal favorite? That’s gotta be “The Shining.” Stanley Kubrick took my story and turned it into somethin’ entirely different. Don’t get me wrong, Jack Nicholson was a hoot as Jack Torrance, but the character’s arc was non-existent in that movie! It drove me up the wall!

So, if you ask me which Stephen King adaptations I’d recommend, stick to the classics like “Carrie” and “The Shawshank Redemption.” And if you wanna see a good laugh, give “Maximum Overdrive” a watch – just don’t expect it to make any sense!

Now, let me tell ya, I ain’t never gonna direct another movie. That was one wild ride I could’ve done without!

Not every attempt to bring a favorite author’s work like Stephen King’s to screen can be successful, given that he is one of the most frequently adapted authors apart from Shakespeare. Although Shakespeare isn’t here to critique these adaptations directly, King often has his say on them. In fact, quite frequently.

The monarch is skilled at advocating for projects and maintains honesty as well. Consequently, if a film portrayal of his work falls short of his standards, he isn’t hesitant to voice his criticism. In fact, his negative remarks about adaptations are frequently amusing and spot-on.

As a devoted admirer, I must confess that there have been certain adaptations of the King’s works that left me personally unfulfilled, despite the fact that they resonated deeply with many fans.

The Dark Tower (2017)

In the very same year that IT became a huge box office hit, The Dark Tower flopped instead. This was surprising given that it starred Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, but there were several reasons for its failure. Among them, Stephen King himself felt it shouldn’t have been made or marketed as a typical PG-13 action blockbuster. In his words to Entertainment Weekly, “The main issue, in my opinion, is that they approached this movie with a studio mandate…It will be a major film. We need to attract viewers from ages 12 and up to the maximum age.

Approaching it with that mindset, he believed that “The Dark Tower” adaptation lacked much of the grit present in its original source material. Additionally, he found it peculiar that the film launched the series in the midst of his extensive saga, which consists of eight novels, a novella, and a children’s book. As he stated back in 2017, “People are going to be quite perplexed by this.

Dreamcatcher (2003)

The film “Dreamcatcher,” initially welcomed by Stephen King upon its release in 2003, has since seen a significant shift in his opinion over the years.

To begin with, “Dreamcatcher” the book shares similarities with “The Tommyknockers,” as Stephen King himself has expressed dislike for the source material he authored. Regarding “Dreamcatcher,” he confessed to Rolling Stone that it was written during his recovery from a car accident while under heavy doses of Oxycontin, which he believed significantly impacted the quality of his writing. In essence, King views it as a disjointed work, and this sentiment extends to the film adaptation as well.

Firestarter (1984)

Firestarter isn’t considered one of Stephen King’s finest works to start with, and unfortunately, the movie adaptation is less satisfying. The acting feels forced in many scenes, and the portrayal of telekinetic power loses its impact after initial use, being overused excessively throughout the film.

1986 saw King expressing his dissatisfaction with the film “Firestarter” in an interview with American Film. He deemed it one of the less successful films, despite its story being quite close to the original. Using a food analogy, he described it as “flavorless…like cafeteria mashed potatoes.” King also had sharp criticism for lead actor David Keith and Martin Sheen, whom he felt was merely reprising his performance from the superior adaptation of another King novel, “The Dead Zone.

Graveyard Shift (1990)

When it comes to late-night films, “Graveyard Shift” isn’t the absolute worst you could choose. However, this is about as good as it gets for the movie. Unfortunately, it fails to make full use of the talent of Brad Dourif, a fact that stands out.

When King was queried by Deadline about the most abysmal adaptation of his literature, he pointed to Graveyard Shift. In essence, he described it as a hastily made film meant for shock value. Indeed, it shares many traits with the productions of Roger Corman or Asylum Studios.

The Lawnmower Man (1992)

I wholeheartedly endorse Stephen King’s short tale, “The Lawnmower Man,” which initially surfaced independently and eventually found its place in his collection titled Night Shift. In this gripping narrative, I find myself employing a gardening service, an unusual one operated by a creature reminiscent of a goat who holds reverence for the Greek deity Pan. As the story unfolds, it transpires that this goat-like entity has offered me as a sacrifice to its divine patron. However, the film adaptation, simply titled The Lawnmower Man, omits all these intriguing elements except for the presence of, you guessed it, a lawnmower.

As a movie critic, I must say, it’s no secret that the film in question was misleadingly associated with Stephen King, a move evidently aimed at drawing crowds rather than reflecting any genuine connection to his writing. Given this deceitful use of his name on promotional materials, it seems just and right that he successfully sued for its removal and received a $2.5 million settlement in damages.

Maximum Overdrive (1986)

As a long-time Stephen King fan, I have always been intrigued by his diverse and captivating works. However, when it comes to Maximum Overdrive, I can confidently say that this is one film of his that I’ve never quite warmed up to. Out of all the movies he has directed, Maximum Overdrive remains the only one on his resume – a fact that seems fitting given its less-than-stellar reputation.

In my opinion, it’s safe to say that King himself acknowledges this film’s shortcomings, having openly admitted numerous times that it’s simply not up to par with his other works. In fact, he has even apologized to Emilio Estevez, the lead actor in the movie, on multiple occasions over the years.

As someone who has followed King’s career for many years and read most of his books, I can appreciate the passion and dedication he puts into his stories. But with Maximum Overdrive, it seems as though something went awry during production. It’s a rare misstep in an otherwise impressive body of work, and one that I find myself skipping over when revisiting King’s filmography.

The author himself acknowledged that he struggled with film direction, a challenge compounded by the fact that, as reported by Hollywood’s Stephen King, he was under the influence of drugs while directing. He casually referred to it as a “moron movie,” a term he used back in 1986, as reported by The Gainesville Sun.

The Shining (1980)

Much like Stephen King’s novel “Carrie,” the film “The Shining” boasts a dedicated fanbase, albeit not one that includes King himself (he does appreciate “Carrie”). Interestingly, when it was first released, the critical reception for “The Shining” wasn’t overwhelmingly positive, but as time has passed, it has grown to be considered one of the most significant and adored horror films ever made.

It seems King had some issues with Kubrick’s film adaptation of “The Shining.” In his book “Danse Macabre,” he described it as frustrating, twisted, and disheartening. Particularly, King didn’t care for Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of Jack Torrance in the movie, feeling that Torrance was shown as already insane instead of gradually becoming so, unlike the character in the novel. In an interview with Deadline, he even stated that the character of Jack Torrance in the movie had no development whatsoever, and from the very beginning, Nicholson’s performance suggested that his character was already as mad as a rat in a madhouse.

2025-01-03 18:10