Frank Darabont’s The Mist: A Perfect Adaptation of Stephen King’s Story

by

Mike Flanagan is set to remake The Mist, but many feel Frank Darabont’s 2007 film was already a perfect adaptation of the Stephen King story. Flanagan has gained a reputation for successfully bringing King’s work to the screen with titles like Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, and The Life of Chuck. However, his recent projects have focused on King stories that don’t necessarily need to be re-adapted.

Mike Flanagan is developing a miniseries based on Carrie, even though Brian De Palma’s 1976 film is widely considered a definitive adaptation and the source novel might not have enough content for a full limited series. Interestingly, before his Carrie show is even released, he’s already announced his next project: another Stephen King story that already has a highly acclaimed adaptation.

Frank Darabont’s The Mist Adaptation Is One Of The Few Adaptations To Improve On The Source Material

Published in 1980 within the Dark Forces collection, The Mist is a story about a Maine town suddenly covered by a strange mist filled with terrifying creatures inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft. The story centers on David Drayton, an ordinary man who fights to protect his young son and survive both the monsters and the increasingly desperate people trapped with them inside a local supermarket.

Frank Darabont’s 2007 film version, with Thomas Jane playing the lead role of David, is unusual in that many consider it better than the original story. Stephen King’s story finishes with a hint of optimism, as David manages to contact someone on the radio. However, Darabont’s film offers a far more chilling and lasting conclusion.

The movie ends with David, completely despairing, making the devastating decision to kill his companions, including his own son. Ironically, the military arrives just moments later and clears the mysterious mist, revealing his actions were tragically pointless. Because of this powerful and heartbreaking twist, any new version of The Mist, whether it follows the original Stephen King ending or the ending from the Darabont film, will struggle to achieve the same emotional resonance.

There Are Plenty Of Unadapted Stephen King Stories That Mike Flanagan Should Tackle Instead

Instead of revisiting stories like Carrie and The Mist that have already been well-adapted, Mike Flanagan should focus on bringing fresh King novels to the screen. Insomnia, for example, with its story of a grieving insomniac caught between opposing forces, could be a visually amazing film or series.

The novel Roadwork tells a compelling story of a man in the Midwest struggling with grief and loss after his son’s death, divorce, and the destruction of his livelihood – it would make a fantastic psychological thriller. Revival’s story about addiction and what lies beyond is ripe for adaptation into a film. However, we don’t need another version of The Mist.

Read More

2026-02-14 16:08