Every Upcoming Stephen King Movie & TV Remake, Ranked by How Much We Want To See Them

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Stephen King stories are being adapted for film and television more than ever. While adaptations have been common for almost 50 years, the success of the 2017 film It really sparked a new wave. Just in 2025, we saw adaptations of The Institute, The Life of Chuck, The Monkey, and The Long Walk – the latter of which was previously considered impossible to film. We also got a new version of The Running Man, which got us thinking: what other remakes of existing Stephen King adaptations are in the works? Here’s what we’ve found, based on how promising and likely each project seems.

It’s frustrating because we’re only seeing adaptations of Stephen King stories that haven’t been adapted before. Yes, we’re getting a movie for Billy Summers and Mister Yummy, and a Fairy Tale series, but those aren’t really re-adaptations, they’re new projects. And even the Overlook show, a Shining spinoff, doesn’t feel like a true re-telling – it’s expanding on the story rather than revisiting it. It feels like we’re missing out on seeing some of his classic stories brought to life again.

6) The Dark Half

The Dark Half is a good book, and like many of Stephen King’s novels, it features a writer as the main character. However, the story gets increasingly strange as it goes on. It proved difficult to adapt to film—even George A. Romero couldn’t make it work—but a remake was announced in 2019. Unfortunately, there’s been no progress on the project since then, so it’s likely been cancelled.

5) The Tommyknockers

Stephen King himself admits The Tommyknockers isn’t one of his best, and critics largely agreed that the TV miniseries based on it was a poor adaptation. Both were right. That’s why it was surprising when James Wan was announced to direct a movie remake. Luckily, that remake never happened, and it’s probably best it doesn’t. Let’s just leave The Tommyknockers as a thing of the past.

4) Christine

Back in 2021, there were reports that Blumhouse was planning a remake of Christine, with Bryan Fuller, the creator of Hannibal, potentially directing. That would have been exciting, though it would have been a challenge to surpass the original directed by John Carpenter at his best. However, the project seems to have stalled, and with no progress in years, it’s likely this remake won’t happen anytime soon.

3) Carrie

There have been three versions of Carrie so far: Brian De Palma’s well-known 1976 film, a 2002 attempt at launching a TV series, and an unnecessary remake in 2013. The idea of yet another adaptation doesn’t immediately seem appealing.

There’s a lot to look forward to in the upcoming miniseries, expected in 2026. Primarily, it’s being led by Mike Flanagan, who is both showrunner and director – and he’s widely considered the best at adapting Stephen King’s work. Plus, the cast includes Amber Midthunder, Cassandra Naud (who was fantastic in Influencer and its sequel), and Matthew Lillard, which is a great combination of talent that’s sure to make the project compelling.

2) Cujo

The potential remake of Cujo is gaining attention because of rumors that Darren Aronofsky might direct. It’s a surprising possibility that no one predicted.

Back in March 2025, The Hollywood Reporter mentioned that director Darren Aronofsky was considering a new project. This would fit his pattern of working in different genres—his recent films have included a crime comedy (Caught Stealing), a moving drama (The Whale), and a bizarre, scary psychological thriller (Mother!). So, a gripping dog movie for Netflix wouldn’t be surprising at all.

1) The Dark Tower

The Dark Tower series is made up of eight books, including one that takes place between the fourth and fifth novels, and a shorter novella. Written over thirty years, it’s Stephen King’s most expansive and complex work – and that’s high praise considering everything else he’s created.

Adapting The Dark Tower is incredibly challenging, and a 90-minute movie simply couldn’t do the story justice – even if the 2017 film had been better. The saga is far too expansive for a single movie. A TV series is the right approach, and that’s what’s currently planned. What’s even more promising is that Mike Flanagan is leading the project, with a vision for multiple seasons. Ideally, it will span five seasons, potentially supplemented by companion films. This is the scale The Dark Tower deserves, but given the project’s size, it will likely take a few years to come to fruition.

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2026-01-19 03:41