Netflix’s 10/10 Stephen King Streaming Adaptation That Charted In The U.S. Sends Hollywood A Message

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Stephen King is a hugely popular author, but the success of the Netflix series 11.22.63 shows that many of his stories haven’t gotten the attention they deserve on screen. King has written more than 60 books and consistently found a large readership, yet a significant portion of his work remains underrepresented in film and television adaptations.

Since his first novel, Carrie, became a huge success in the early 1970s, Stephen King has consistently been a bestselling author. Although not all of his stories have translated well to the screen, as some adaptations have been canceled, he remains incredibly popular and appeals to a wide audience.

Even with all his success, the recent popularity of the 2016 Netflix adaptation of Stephen King’s 11.22.63 – a decade after the original miniseries – shows that his science fiction stories often don’t get the attention they deserve. These adaptations, whether movies or TV shows, frequently fly under the radar, which limits the number of his sci-fi stories that are actually made into films or series.

11.22.63 Proves Stephen King’s Sci-fi Work Is Underrated

The novel and series 11.22.63 follows Jake, a teacher portrayed by James Franco, as he journeys back in time to November 22, 1963, with the goal of preventing President Kennedy’s assassination. He quickly discovers that altering the past is far more complicated than he imagined, and unexpected problems arise.

Fans of Stephen King shouldn’t miss 11.22.63, which stars Lucy Fry and Chris Cooper. While it shares a connection to the story of Pennywise, it’s different from King’s recent horror hit, It: Welcome to Derry. Unlike that show, 11.22.63 isn’t primarily a horror series.

Similar to the book it’s based on, 11.22.63 is a suspenseful thriller that mixes in science fiction. The show often feels reminiscent of classic conspiracy films like Three Days of the Condor, The Parallax View, and The Manchurian Candidate, but with a touch of fantastical sci-fi added to the mix.

Despite receiving positive reviews when it first came out in 2016, the show 11.22.63 didn’t gain widespread popularity until it started streaming on Netflix. This might be because Stephen King is better known for horror, rather than science fiction, which could have initially deterred some viewers.

Stephen King’s Sci-Fi Adaptations Struggle With Branding

Stephen King is best known for his horror novels, including classics like Carrie, The Shining, and It. That’s why the HBO Max series It: Welcome to Derry did so well – it benefited from King’s established reputation as a leading horror writer.

However, adaptations like The Dead Zone, The Running Man, The Long Walk, 11.22.63, and Under the Dome suggest King’s readers haven’t fully embraced his science fiction stories. While these adaptations are generally well-made—the 2025 version of The Running Man was particularly strong, improving upon the preachy 1987 film—none are considered among King’s most iconic or well-known works.

I’ve always been a huge Stephen King fan, but it’s a shame to see his forays into science fiction haven’t quite hit the mark. Looking at the recent adaptations, it feels like his name alone isn’t enough. The Long Walk didn’t do as well as hoped, making only $60 million despite costing $20 million to produce. And even with the talented Glen Powell leading the cast, Edgar Wright’s remake of The Running Man was a real disappointment – it just didn’t connect with audiences. It makes me wonder if people don’t automatically think of him when they’re looking for a great sci-fi story.

Unlike projects connected to Stephen King’s well-known name, like It: Welcome to Derry, these other projects don’t have that same advantage because King isn’t known for science fiction. The highly praised film Life of Chuck faced a similar problem – despite getting great reviews, it didn’t do well in theaters. The movie combined fantasy, sci-fi, and personal stories, which made it difficult for audiences to find it.

Several Stephen King sci-fi adaptations, including the 2020 miniseries The Stand and the 2016 film Cell, focus heavily on action and horror. Unfortunately, both were poorly received by both audiences and critics. Other adaptations, such as the 2022 film Firestarter and the 1983 film The Dead Zone, work well as simple horror stories.

Some of Stephen King’s Sci-fi Best Stories Have Never Been Adapted

Image courtesy of Everett Collection

While the 1984 film version of Firestarter is much stronger than the 2022 remake, both movies struggle with the same problem: the story has potential as science fiction, but leans heavily into horror because that’s what audiences anticipate from Stephen King adaptations.

This impacts which of Stephen King’s books get made into films, as we can see with the career of It director Andy Muschietti. After It earned over a billion dollars in 2017, it seemed Muschietti would have his choice of King novels to adapt next.

Back in 2019, director Andy Muschietti announced plans to adapt Stephen King’s sci-fi short story, “The Jaunt,” which originally appeared in the collection Skeleton Crew. Unfortunately, the movie never came to fruition. Muschietti ultimately chose to make It: Welcome to Derry instead. This might be because, similar to the less successful performance of the series 11.22.63, audiences don’t strongly associate Stephen King with science fiction.

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2026-01-21 18:59