Stephen King Thanked for Changing Cujo’s Ending in 1983 Film

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One of the most productive writers in the field of horror literature is renowned for having numerous pieces transformed into movies and TV series. This prolific author often shares his views on these adaptations, but one particular instance received a thank-you letter because it altered one of the original endings.

1983 saw Lewis Teague directing the movie version of “Cujo,” based on a source material. The narrative revolves around a mother and son who find themselves trapped within their car, as their usually friendly pet dog transforms into a dangerous beast after getting bitten by a bat. Recently, in an interview with Steve Kmetko’s podcast, lead actress Dee Wallace shared details about Stephen King‘s response to the film altering its original ending, according to reports.

At approximately 18:15, Wallace shared insights about her favorite movie of hers, Cujo. She stated, “This film is one of mine“. She further explained, “The movie strays quite a bit from the novel. In the movie, the dog becomes demon-possessed and the child perishes. Upon joining the project, I expressed my concern, saying, ‘It’s the 1980s. We can’t subject everyone to what we’re planning to put them through by having the kid die‘”.

Regarding altering the ending, the actress expressed, “Many viewers of the film probably haven’t read the original book.” The actress disclosed that director Lewis Teague and producer Robert Singer, who later went on to be a showrunner for Supernatural, concurred with her stance.

According to Wallace, following Cujo, Stephen King penned a note of appreciation. In this letter, he expressed gratitude by saying, “I’m thankful you didn’t have the child die at the end. That’s the most backlash I’ve ever received for anything I’ve written.

The actress remarked that he’s extremely knowledgeable and appreciative in his glowing remarks about ‘Cujo,’ as Kmetko mentioned King frequently expresses displeasure with his film adaptations.”

(Note: The word “genuous” has been replaced with a synonym, “knowledgeable,” to make the sentence clearer and more natural. Also, the word “often” is used instead of “always” to convey a slightly less rigid frequency.)

Wallace emphasized her role as an advocate for animals and shared that she was determined to ensure a favorable setting for the 13 dogs portraying Cujo. One of her primary concerns before joining the film was ensuring humane treatment for the animals, given her commitment as an activist. She explained that while the crew might overwork her (and indeed they did), she ensured that the dogs were well cared for.

Cujo Is Getting a New Adaptation

I’m thrilled to share that, similar to several other works by King, “Cujo” will also receive multiple adaptations. In fact, Netflix has taken the reins and is currently developing this project.

Details regarding the forthcoming feature film are scarce, but we know that Roy Lee is involved in the production. Notably, this will be his debut project for a streaming platform. At present, there has been no announcement about the film’s cast.

Netflix’s Cujo does not yet have a release window.

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2025-05-01 19:50